Senate blocks GOP bid to repeal net neutrality

In a 52 to 46 vote held on Thursday, the Senate blocked a GOP bid to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s controversial net neutrality regulations.

Earlier this week, the White House threatened to veto the measure should the Senate pass it, saying that repealing net neutrality regulations would jeopardize freedom on the internet.

“It would be ill-advised to threaten the very foundations of innovation in the Internet economy and the democratic spirit that has made the Internet a force for social progress around the world,” the White House said.

Republicans argue that the FCC overstepped its legal authority with the net neutrality regulations, adding that regulating the internet would stifle its growth, and even referring to the regulations as a “job-killer”.

“While we all understand the importance of an open Internet, I think we can also agree that the growth of the Internet in the last 15 years is an American success story that occurred absent any heavy-handed regulation by the federal regulators in Washington,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), as reported by The Hill.

“[W]e should think long and hard before we allow unelected bureaucrats to tinker with it now.”

Republicans aren’t the only ones going after the FCC’s net neutrality regulations. Several large telecommunications companies have voiced strong concerns over net neutrality. Verizon has even filed a suit against the FCC in an attempt to stop the bill.

[Image credit: Bloomberg]