Since the initial 26 senators banded together in the fight against the FCC’s decision to roll back net neutrality protections, several additional senators now support the introduction of a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act.
Since Sen. Ed Markey, (D-Mass.), led the opposition against the FCC’s decisions last month, he has “gathered enough democratic support to force the Senate to vote on restoring net neutrality,” according to Insider.
“Millennials are energized,” Sen. Markey said at a news conference. “They know the loss of net neutrality means the loss of control of the internet, which is oxygen to them. We cannot let that happen.”
Senator Claire Mccaskill, (D-MO), was the one to help democrats meet the threshold and become the thirtieth senator to back the resolution, which guarantees them a procedural vote on the floor.
The resolution under the Congressional Review Act would reverse the FCC’s December vote to undo net neutrality protects and restore the regulations that “ensure that internet service providers, like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, for example, treat all websites and online content equally,” according to CBS News
“Last month, the Federal Communications Commission turned a deaf ear to millions of Americans standing up for a free and open internet and instead gutted net neutrality,” Sen. Markey said at a news conference. “That’s why we plan to fight these actions in the halls of Congress and in the courtroom.”
The next step is for the FCC to publish its proposed new rules in the Federal Register or with Congress in which these opposed senator vow to introduce the resolution after which it will need a majority vote in the Senate before it can head to the House.
While Republicans favor the House and only one Republican senator vowed to support the resolution, they will each need to take a public stance on net neutrality in a crucial voting year.
The fight is far from over, but the wheels are turning to help roll back net neutrality protects put in place by the Obama administration.
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