House to 'Disapprove' Net Neutrality, Obama Threatens Veto

While the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed a challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's newly approved net neutrality rules as premature, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the procedures by which it will move to prevent the same rules from being implemented.

 

CNET News reports the House voted 241-178 (largely along party lines) to approve the procedure by which it will formally vote on a resolution declaring that the FCC's regs "shall have no force or effect." Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) said of the measure:

Congress did not authorize the FCC to regulate in this area ... We must reject any rules that it promulgates in this area ...

When the formal vote does occur, the numbers in support of the resolution will likely be very similar to this week's vote. If anything, blogger Declan McCullough says, the FCC may get even less support.

 

Nonetheless, the resolution faces almost certain veto when it reaches President Obama's desk. In a warning issued this week, the White House said:

If the president is presented with a Resolution of Disapproval that would not safeguard the free and open Internet, his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the Resolution.

This administration has been vocal in its support of the open Internet since the president took office.

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