Senate Votes to Reinstate Net Neutrality Protections

Today, the Senate voted to reinstate the net neutrality protections of the 2015 Open Internet Order in a 52-47 vote. The passage of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution now shifts the focus to the House of Representatives, which will consider the legislation. The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) applauds the bipartisan effort to pass the resolution in the Senate and encourages concerned citizens to contact their member of Congress in support of net neutrality.

“The Senate took clear, bipartisan action to protect the fundamental digital rights of Americans today. Without net neutrality protections, internet service providers will have an explicit license to block, slow, or levy tolls on content, which will limit choices for internet users and suffocate small businesses looking to enter the market. These protections are the guiding principles of the open internet, facilitating innovation and enabling the spread of new ideas,” said Ferras Vinh, CDT’s Open Internet Policy Counsel.

“As Senator Collins, Senator Kennedy, and Senator Murkowski demonstrated today, preserving the open internet is not a partisan cause. There is a bipartisan consensus among Americans on the need for net neutrality protections, as evidenced by the millions who called, emailed, or otherwise pleaded with their member of Congress to protect an open internet. And beyond Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats have worked together to implement net neutrality protections for consumers on the state level. As the bill is considered by the House, members of Congress should show leadership, listen to their constituents, and pass the CRA resolution,” Vinh added.