The U.S. Senate on Thursday narrowly rejected a resolution to overturn Federal Communications Commission rules that were crafted to protect the openness of the Internet.
The vote was 52 to 46 against the resolution.
"While the resolution would have been vetoed by President Obama, it is disappointing that the Senate could not muster enough votes," said Jim Lakely, co-director of The Heartland Institute's Center on the Digital Economy. "The fact remains that net neutrality is a solution in search of a problem – which even the FCC has tacitly acknowledged by citing potential harm in need of government correction and regulation, as opposed to actual harm."
The Senate vote does not end uncertainty over the future of the rules, which go into effect Nov. 20 but will be reviewed by a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C.
Had the Senate measure passed, Congress would have faced a collision course with the White House, which was likely to veto the resolution.
The Heartland Institute is a free-market think tank.
