Over Democratic objections, the House Rules Committee was expected to...
Over Democratic objections, the House Rules Committee was expected to approve for a floor vote the resolution of disapproval to overturn the FCC net neutrality order. The committee vote, which was set to occur after our deadline late Monday, sets…
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up a floor vote by the full House later this week. President Barack Obama’s administration “strongly opposes” House Joint Resolution 37, “which would undermine a fundamental part of the Nation’s Internet and innovation strategy -- an enforceable and effective policy for keeping the Internet free and open,” the Office of Management and Budget said. The net neutrality order “resulted from a process that brought together parties on all sides of this issue -- from consumer groups to technology companies to broadband providers -- to enable their voices to be heard,” OMB said in a written statement Monday evening. It “reflected a constructive effort to build a consensus around what safeguards and protections were reasonable and necessary to ensure that the Internet continues to attract investment and to spur innovation” and disapproving it would “raise questions as to whether innovation on the Internet will be allowed to flourish, consumers will be protected from abuses, and the democratic spirit of the Internet will remain intact,” the office said. For the first time, the administration confirmed publicly that Obama’s aides would recommend he veto the resolution of disapproval, if it came to his desk to be signed. Rules Committee Democrats think the Congressional Review Act measure is a “total waste of time,” said a spokesman for Ranking Member Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y. “Instead of working with [Democrats] to focus on legislation to create jobs and promote economic recovery, [Republicans] are continuing to pursue politically motivated distractions that have no chance of becoming law,” the spokesman said in a written statement. “Even if they succeed at pushing this bill which allows for zero minority input through the House, it has long odds in the Senate and the administration is sure to veto it. The Courts are reviewing the legal questions around the Open Internet Order and will decide the matter, not this time-wasting effort against openness and transparency on the Internet.”