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Net Neutrality Bill Dead in Senate
WASHINGTON--A U.S. Senate panel narrowly rejected strict Net neutrality rules on Wednesday, dealing a grave setback to companies like eBay, Google and Amazon.com that had made enacting them a top political priority this year.
By an 11-11 tie, the Senate Commerce Committee failed to approve a Democrat-backed amendment that would have ensured all Internet traffic is treated the same no matter what its "source" or "destination" might be. A majority was needed for the amendment to succeed.
This vote complicates Internet companies' efforts to convince Congress of the desirability of extensive new regulations, especially after the House of Representatives definitively rejected the concept in a 269-152 vote on June 8.
Republican committee members attacked the idea of inserting Net neutrality regulations in a massive telecommunications bill, echoing comments from broadband providers like AT&T and Verizon, which warned the rules were premature and unnecessary. Alaska's Ted Stevens, the committee chairman, accused his colleagues of "imposing a heavy-handed regulation before there's a demonstrated need."
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By a 12-10 vote, senators also rejected a second amendment that was broader. The amendment, proposed by Hawaii Democrat Daniel Inouye, included not just Net neutrality anti-discrimination language but also addressed topics such as video franchising and universal service.
Then, by a 15-7 vote, senators voted to send the broader telecommunications bill--called the Communications, Consumer's Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act--to the full Senate for a vote. Its fate there is hardly assured, though a Net neutrality amendment is likely to be offered in any floor vote.
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RE: Net Neutrality Bill Dead in Senate
I have to admit, I'm glad to see that this has stalled. I work with the Hands Off The Internet coalition, and we're working to prevent Congress from messing up one of our most valued technologies, the internet. Frankly, the politicians don't know enough about the industry to be attempting to craft complex legislation on the matters at hand, and will wind up creating a giant mess.
The best thing for the internet is to allow the free market to continue to regulate it, leaving the power in the hands of the consumers. That's how it's worked for as long as the internet has been around, and that's how it should stay.
If you want more information, check out our website at http://handsoff.org and our flash animation at http://dontregulate.org
RE: Net Neutrality Bill Dead in Senate
This whole free market thing sounds great in theory but the reality is a free market that is dominated by companies with a monopoly will ultimately be bad for everyone but the shareholders of that company.
RE: Net Neutrality Bill Dead in Senate
I have been one of the "market" guys all along also (see the other net neutral articles here at TotSP) but Shmooze has a point. If we HAD a free market then I would buy it (which has always been my disclaimer with regards to my market argument).
What we have is localized monopolies and all sorts of current legislation regarding providers (especially wires into houses, etc) that makes it all a mess.
If there is ANY legislation out of congress is should be aimed at neutrality. Part of the problem and reason for the "need" is that there are lobbying efforts by large telecoms and cable companies to REQUIRE the opposite, to require a tiered system. That would be disastrous.
As to "congress knows nothing about it and should therefore leave it alone" as an argument, well, I will grant you they know nothing about it, true, but please tell me what in the hell they DO KNOW about in regards to ANY law?
I would personally love it if having some expertise and knowledge on the subject matter they were making laws about was *required* for congress but thats not how it works.
I digress off the subject of neutrality here but our congress is (among a hundred thousand other stupid ass things) trying to make laws about video games and the evil they cause, "god" in the pledge, gay marriage, flag burning and fighting wars on nouns - all things of which they obviously have no clue about. Knowledge of the subject, never stopped em before, in fact they seem to prefer to be working from a completely ideological stance (relegating science, logic and reality to a debate where "the jury is still out on that one, he he he").