Congress makes vote to up-end FCC neutrality rules

Republicans on Tuesday made a largely symbolic Congressional vote to nullify the FCC's net neutrality order. Voting 241-178 for a resolution of disapproval along party lines, the House said the rules banning app blocking and in some cases unfair network management should have "no force or effect." Georgia Congressman Rob Woodall claimed that the FCC needed permission to regulate the Internet but also that the House needed to automatically "reject any rules" that came from the FCC.

Democrats vehemently opposed the resolution and argued that it would threaten real jobs and innovative technologies in the US. The FCC in proposing the order had argued that young Internet-only companies needed to have a chance to offer new video and voice services without carriers using blocks or throttling to discourage competition.

The corporate-backed Republican gesture is mostly symbolic as the Obama administration had already said it would veto the resolution if it passed. The measure also needs Senate approval.

It's not clear that the resolution has any weight. In justifying the order, the FCC took care to cite Congressional statements that unambiguously gave the FCC responsibility over certain aspects of the Internet. Republicans have insisted the multiple quoted clauses weren't forms of authorization.

The FCC's regulations are relatively light and deliberately skirted around using "common carrier" rules meant to govern landline phones that would have required absolutely fair treatment and possible price regulation.

By Electronista Staff