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Senate Will Force Vote On Overturning Net Neutrality Repeal (theverge.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) has mustered the 30 votes necessary to force a vote on the FCC's decision to repeal net neutrality. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) announced that she's signed onto Markey's request to overturn the new rules, under the Congressional Review Act -- which lets Congress nullify recently passed regulations with a simple majority. Markey announced his intention to file a resolution of disapproval in December, just after the FCC voted on new rules that killed net neutrality protections from 2015. These new rules were officially published last week, and with 30 sponsors, Markey can make the Senate vote on whether to consider overturning them. If this happens, it would lead to a debate and final vote. That's not remotely the end of the process: if it's approved, the resolution will go to the House, and if it passes there, the desk of Donald Trump, who seems unlikely to approve it.

143 comments

  1. Re:Trump traitors deserve slow rape over a fire by hey! · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    You, sir, are a regular Oscar Wilde.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  2. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1

    What I have a hard time seeing is that noone wants to make Net Neutrality a law. Which is all it would take.

    No, telling the Pres he can't make an Executive Order isn't the answer, nor is a non-binding vote (which is what they'd get with this - no law, no power)....

    --

    "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
  3. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The intent isn't to repeal it of course. It's too embarrass the republicans.

    It's also to expose all the republicans who oppose it, so when the abuses start, and they will, the dems can target them with ads come election time.

  4. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Republicans are republicans, even when traitors or pedos or sellouts to international corporations or closet case faggots like Kendall here. They have no idea how to win, they just know how to hate Hillary.

    Well Hillary is no longer running. Bring your traitor to 2018, lol. We'll see that you get your faggot heads caved in.

  5. Ineptitude, I do not think that word means... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...what you think it means.

    Otherwise, NN would still be in place.

    Otherwise, tax legislation would not have passed.

    Otherwise, Trump would not be president...

    In fact are you sure you don't work for Trump? It seems like you are trying awfully hard to ensure people they should not pay attention to what Trump tries to do by claiming he is "incompetent".

    let's all listen to the BROWK BROWK BROCK BORWK BROWK CA-CA!

    What's that I hear? More senseless clucking from the Chicken Littles? (AKA Small-Minded Cucks). Well OK then!

    1. Re:Ineptitude, I do not think that word means... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      you stupid fuckwit, use real adult words and pronouns instead of fake news bullshit like "snowflakes". oh you can't, you are ignorant, illiterate, and a fool

    2. Re:Ineptitude, I do not think that word means... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Otherwise, Trump would not be president...

      And all it took was for Trump to sell out the country to Russia.

    3. Re:Ineptitude, I do not think that word means... by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 0

      You think "snowflake" isn't a real word? And you think I am the stupid fuckwit?

      Go buy a large tube of Preparation H, your butthurt must be killing you.

      --
      If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  6. ISP Execs are all "dammit!" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now they've got a whole NEW list of people they need to get paid off.

  7. Re:Were the original rules submitted? by Anubis+IV · · Score: 1

    The original rules were entered into the federal register back in 2015, so yes, they were submitted.

  8. The point is to make the Republican party by rsilvergun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    go on record opposing Net Neutrality. So far when the issue's come up they've mostly said they support it while putting 3 folks in charge of the FCC who are against it at all costs. The Republicans have been able to kill NN without much political fallout. This aims to end all that. If it doesn't pass it means the Republican lead Congress opposes NN, despite what they've said. If it _does_ pass it means their party head, Donald Trump, personally killed NN.

    Right now everybody's blaming Ajit Pai for the loss of NN. This aims to ship the blame where, I would argue, it rightfully belongs.

    --
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    1. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Khyber · · Score: 2

      No, Pai deserves 100% of the blame. He's the Verizon shill that carried this out. It could simply had not have happened were it not for his decision and greed. He could've turned around and given the corporations both middle fingers when he got into the FCC, instead he took all of their dicks up his ass and begged for more.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    2. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Ajit Pai is the point man for the sellout of public domain to private property held by corporations. He is to blame. Trump is to blame. And the rest of the GOP is to blame. They have the power, they have the responsibility, they proposed and enacted it. They deserve the gallows - every last one.

    3. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Tulsa_Time · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Agreed.

      I am for rational NN. And i am 100% Republican.

      If Congress makes the law... all the better. The FCC does NOT have this power at this time.

      --
      5 out of 6 people enjoy Russian Roulette & 6 out of 7 Dwarfs are not Happy
    4. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Darth+Eletius · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Correct, they stripped themselves of this power a few weeks ago by reclassifying internet service as Title I. That's the whole point here. They did have the legal authority, and they took it away from themselves to please their corporate overlords.

    5. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Congress has not made a law that benefits the average Joe in a long long time. Considering 265 Republicans have received significant campaign contributions from the likes of Comcast, Verizon, Charter, AT&T, etc, what makes you think they would pass a net neutrality law that would benifit you?

    6. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by bobbied · · Score: 1

      Right, this isn't going to succeed, it's only an attempt to make an election issue out of this for 2018... This is the silly season for 2018's midterms, when all the political clowns run around the two ring circus looking to get on the clown car that they think will get them noticed the most while throwing cream pies at the others.

      Personally, I don't think we will be discussing NN at all in about a month anyway. We have a show down on immigration reform with a government shutdown threat looming before the moth is over. NN will be a distant memory once all those other clown cars load up with clowns and whip cream.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    7. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by guruevi · · Score: 1

      I would agree with a law passing but this motion is to overturn the executive order that modified another executive order.

      These politicians want to be able to pass laws that they find convenient at any particular moment by the party in power at any particular time without any due process. Now they want to enshrine this practice by enforcing one executive order and not another.

      If they want it so bad, submit it as a law. There's a song about it.

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    8. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Freischutz · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Agreed.

      I am for rational NN. And i am 100% Republican.

      If Congress makes the law... all the better. The FCC does NOT have this power at this time.

      I'm a100% liberal and Im in favour of rational NN as well. The internet should be a place where even small players are able to grow into big players because they don't have to pay protection money to telcos just like a small trucking outfit should be able to grow into a big one because they don't have to pay protection money for access to 'fast lanes' on the nation's highways. All that charging for access to 'fast lanes' does is stifle competition because the big guys can afford to pay but the small startups cannot. It's nice that in an age of trench warfare we can still agree on something.

    9. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by youngone · · Score: 3, Interesting

      what makes you think they would pass a net neutrality law that would benifit you?

      And why should they? The whole US political system is set up to turn money into influence.

      When the oil industry wrote George Bush the second's energy policy, those of us who live in a democracy were shocked, but as far as I can understand it was pretty uncontroversial in the US.

    10. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apparently the FCC did have that power. Until they didnâ(TM)t.

    11. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by farble1670 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I am for rational NN. And i am 100% Republican.

      If your party votes no on NN, will you change your vote?

    12. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      the big guys can afford to pay but the small startups cannot

      Exactly. The Netflixes and Googles of the internet love this. They have to pay, but in return they get protection against competition.

    13. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by farble1670 · · Score: 2

      These politicians want to be able to pass laws that they find convenient at any particular moment by the party in power at any particular time without any due process. Now they want to enshrine this practice by enforcing one executive order and not another.

      One EO was popular and benefited the people and small business, and the other is utterly unpopular and benefits large corporations and stifles competition. Even here on /. which is usually full of trolling Trump supporters you can't find an opinion against NN.

      Every president makes EOs. In his first year, Trump had 56. Obama had 39. Bush had 54. Clinton had 57. This is normal operating procedure. Ajit Pai was appointed by Trump. By all means, consider a president's EOs when you decide how to vote in 2020. Now senators will be required to mark the public record as well. Hold them accountable.

      This will be fun.

    14. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guarantee you this is an issue very few care about at election time. Republicans have no problem getting labeled with this.

      I realize Slashdot is a closed society of people with similar views, but get outside and find out what the voting public cares about next time.

    15. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's cool that they did their reversal by removing their own power as it gives the states an excellent argument for telling the FCC to piss off when they try to prevent the states from enacting their own NN regulations on the last mile, which occurs within each state's boundaries.

    16. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well stated and in response to another post, the outcome could change my vote in 2018.

    17. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm a republican-leaning independent and I support NN as well. We've already seen how many ways the ISPs plan to screw us over and I won't support that.

      That said, ideally we should make something that's a bit harder to remove than having a few people at the FCC decide on a policy change.

    18. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by BlueStrat · · Score: 0, Troll

      Correct, they stripped themselves of this power a few weeks ago by reclassifying internet service as Title I. That's the whole point here. They did have the legal authority, and they took it away from themselves to please their corporate overlords.

      What this proves is that Democrats want the internet under that sweet, tight, Title-II regulatory control. They aren't really interested in NN as such, just in it's usefulness in placing the internet under tighter government control.

      If they actually wanted NN they could have, and still could now, introduce NN legislation. They could probably even get Republican support if it were reasonable. But instead, they want the old Title-II control back and to kick some market-protection favors to their FAANG cronies/donors.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    19. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      This is Darth; can't be arsed to log in atmo. No, Title II does not put the Internet under tight regulatory control. That's laughable hard right-wing babble. What it does do is allow the federal government to prohibit service providers from certain behavior, most of which is anti-consumer, and detrimental to the openness of the Internet. If the government really wanted control of the Internet, they wouldn't have released ICANN from their control several years back. People seem to forget about when the US government ACTUALLY had control of a huge chunk of Internet infrastructure.

    20. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also, due to the abilities granted by Title II, Title I is a far more corporate-friendly piece of law. I don't understand how people miss this glaringly obvious fact. I'm just surprised even the Democrats are as much as making a show of trying to reverse the decision. This doesn't need additional law on the books, this just needs checks and balances to work properly and for Congress to force the FCC to do its job instead of line the commissioners' pockets.

    21. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      It begs the question of why you would want to be allied with such a repulsive state and rely on it 100% for your own defense. Time for the alliance to go away, nobody wants to be on the same side with a tyrant. Good riddance to the Americans.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    22. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Tulsa_Time · · Score: 0

      I would lobby for NN... but there are too many other important policies that are even more important to make me switch and vote "Hillary/Oprah" over Trump.

      My wallet really likes the economy Trump has fostered. The irrational Russia fixation (as if Trump both did not want to win... but was colluding to win) and the Fusion GPS/DNC infiltration of the FBI is problematic.

      Rule of law, enforcement of immigration law and rational merit based policies are also important.

      Making the US competitive, not being pushed around and taken as idiots (Iran Deal) in foreign policy... all good to.

      Making NASA a space agency again a plus. and many more.

      --
      5 out of 6 people enjoy Russian Roulette & 6 out of 7 Dwarfs are not Happy
    23. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by tangent3 · · Score: 1

      If he's really 100% to blame then we will find out soon enough when the vote passes.

    24. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by BlueStrat · · Score: 0, Troll

      This is Darth; can't be arsed to log in atmo. No, Title II does not put the Internet under tight regulatory control. That's laughable hard right-wing babble. What it does do is allow the federal government to prohibit service providers from certain behavior, most of which is anti-consumer, and detrimental to the openness of the Internet.

      If all you wanted was NN to prevent the behaviors you describe why not just pass a law? Republicans are introducing NN legislation, where is the Democratic legislation? Why does regulations have to be enacted administratively (leaving them open to be changed or eliminated in the next administration) by the FCC under Title-II?

      It's because the true goals have little to do with making sure service providers don't misbehave. That's just the cover story. The real story, as usual, is money, power, and control...and the Democrats want it all.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    25. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > and the Democrats want it all.

      As opposed to the Republicans? Something seems strange here...

    26. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trust me... you don't want Congress to "fix" this...

      Maybe in an alternative reality where Lessig has won his fight...

    27. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The whole US political system is set up to turn money into influence.
      Well, the "influence" (aka regulatory power) is only an intermediate step.
      The system is set up to turn money into MORE MONEY.
      That's why the USA is recognized internationally as an oligarchy, not a democracy.
      At least, amongst thinking peoples, who admittedly are an ever-decreasing minority.

      late stage capitalism for the win ...

    28. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      There's nothing magical about EOs and related executive statements and, yes, Congress has a right to review them and state explicitly that Congress's vision of the law conflicts with the executive's: Executive orders et al are how the executive enforces the laws Congress passes. The mechanism to overturn them exists to ensure the law is interpreted as per the branch of government that writes it, not the group tasked with enforcing it.

      What you're essentially saying should happen is: Trump's FCC issues a policy statement indicating it'll circumvent the law by pretending Internet services are not general common carrier communication services, so Congress should pass another law that the FCC can then... ignore by pretending Internet services are not general common carrier communication services.

      No. If Trump or the FCC or anyone else that's tasked with enforcing a law decides to willfully interpret the law in a manner opposite to that intended, Congress should use the tools available to force it to follow the law. Passing more laws wouldn't help.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    29. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 1

      I am for rational NN. And i am 100% Republican.

      If your party votes no on NN, will you change your vote?

      I'm not him, but no, I wouldn't (though I too am for NN). There are a few other issues out there, you know ...

    30. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by mjwx · · Score: 1

      I am for rational NN. And i am 100% Republican.

      If your party votes no on NN, will you change your vote?

      And there in lies the problem. Not just with Republicans, but the US two party system in general.

      At least here in the UK when given two bad choices (as we were with Theresa May and Jeremy Corbin in the last election) we can vote for a third party and if enough people are dissatisfied with the major two parties, they depend on crossbenchers (third parties) to pass legislation. Currently the conservatives are relying on the two Northern Ireland parties (sinn fein and DUP) who hate each other. Its not perfect, but it can prevent parties from ignoring a dissatisfied voter base and ruling by fiat for their entire term.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    31. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Go back to breitbart. And read a damn book sometime.

    32. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by WallyL · · Score: 1

      Ditto. Registered Republican, but I want net neutrality. Some regulation helps a free market.

    33. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by farble1670 · · Score: 2

      I would lobby for NN... but there are too many other important policies that are even more important to make me switch and vote "Hillary/Oprah" over Trump.

      Did you know, Hilary isn't running for office?

      Making the US competitive, not being pushed around and taken as idiots (Iran Deal) in foreign policy... all good to.

      Did you know, the world stage generally thinks Americans all all morons, and most foreign (and US, there are plenty of quotes to prove it) politicians think our leader is a moron? Who cares anyway, GO MERICA if they don't like it we'll nuke em right?

      My wallet really likes the economy Trump has fostered.

      Does it like his tax policy that every expert agrees will benefit corporations over the individual?

    34. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except in removing their (FCC) authority they also prevented states for enacting their own....

    35. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by Darth+Eletius · · Score: 1

      If the Democrats really want control of all the things (not saying they're not corrupt), why was it under Obama that the government let its contract with ICANN expire, hmm? They aren't introducing new legislation, because yet another goddamn law on the books shouldn't be needed. Title II was a pretty good fit for the situation. A new law is just as, if not more likely to promote government overreach than reinstating Title II classification.

    36. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Even here on /. which is usually full of trolling Trump supporters you can't find an opinion against NN.

      I've seen some. They seem to believe that there's enough meaningful competition between ISPs for the market to handle it. (I'm not completely sure that there are no unicorns. I know for a fact that there isn't enough such competition. Therefore, I'm more likely to believe in unicorns than in these people's ideas.)

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    37. Re:The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This guy needs to be +5, ACTUAL Republican sense-making for this! Refreshing as hell WallyL

    38. Re: The point is to make the Republican party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you do realise that both World Wars gave every US ally enough reason to know you cannot rely on the US for defence right?

  9. Yes, but I don't think that works by SuperKendall · · Score: 0

    That's what I am saying though, I agree that is the goal, but I don't think it will have that effect because too few people really care about the issue - only a handful of super-technical / super vocal people. In recent demonstrations against the NN repeal they had terrible turnout in DC for example (like. handful of people). Only in CA was there significant turnout.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Yes, but I don't think that works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because technically illiterate people don't know anything about the issue, and thus don't care, and people who really know what they are talking about and understand how peering works, know that "Net Neutrality" is bullshit. So you only have a thing layer of useful idiots that are slightly technical.

    2. Re:Yes, but I don't think that works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks for your whataboutism.

  10. Stuck in the middle.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Child molesters to the Right,
      rapists to the Left,
    Here I am, stuck in the middle without you.

    1. Re: Stuck in the middle.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right: Hey left nut!

      Left: Hey right nut?

      Together: Who's this penis in between us?

  11. Re: Trump traitors deserve slow rape over a fire by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No such thing unless you convert to Judaism

  12. Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by bobbied · · Score: 1, Insightful

    This is dead folks.... Until the number of supporters allows a cloture vote to pass, this is dead. The Republicans, who currently control the Senate majority, cannot make things happen there, how would a democrat make it happen along partisan lines? This is dead, no way it manages cloture.

    So getting it to the floor isn't going to make anything happen here. Why bother with this? Why to map out a campaign issue of course... Nothing more... It's like the House passing an Obamacare repeal 20+ times, full knowing the Senate wouldn't take it up and Obama wouldn't sign it, then when it actually would be passed and signed they wiffed it. It was for show, not for substance, just like this NN thing.

    It's 2018.... Get ready for silliness in politics where weird things are done in an effort to get donations and get elected..

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    1. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      Um, guy, there's two new Senators. Think before you type.

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      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    2. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And yet the Left still doesn't have the numbers to get this done.

    3. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      You posted a statement, I posted an observation of undisputed fact. You then posted a conclusion that neither of us had previously addressed, and incorrectly presume that was either a) your first observation, or b) my second observation.

      You fail Logic 220. Please retake the course.

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      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    4. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by bobbied · · Score: 2

      Um, guy, there's two new Senators. Think before you type.

      LOL, so much promise, yet not a clue about how the Senate works.. NN is dead in this congress.

      Cloture requires 60 votes. Democrats only have 49, plus any republicans they can get. If you don't have 11 republicans, it isn't going to happen...

      Unless the point is to just get everybody to vote so you can claim a campaign issue this is pointless....

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    5. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 2

      That was 2017. It's 2018. Pay attention.

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    6. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      Why to map out a campaign issue of course... Nothing more...

      Good. Every politicians will have to go on record for or against. That will allow us to vote for the people that support it when their bid comes up.

      How is this bad?

    7. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by bobbied · · Score: 0

      All that's going to happen here is the bill will be referred to committee and die there. The majority will make sure of it and it doesn't require a vote, just follow standard procedure and volia, the thing dies a quiet death free of political cost. Trust me, I've watched many bills die in the Senate exactly the same way.

      All this does is put a fund raising feather in the bill's supporters caps.. Nobody is going to run on this issue.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    8. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Your premise is incorrect.

      From the Congressional Review Act wiki page:

      The law provides a procedure for expedited consideration in the Senate. If the committee to which a joint resolution is referred has not reported it out within 20 calendar days after referral, it may be discharged from further consideration by a written petition of 30 Senators, at which point the measure is placed on the calendar, and it is in order at any time for a Senator to move to proceed to the joint resolution.[10] If the Senate agrees to the motion to proceed, debate on the floor is limited to 10 hours and no amendments to the resolution or motions to proceed to other business are in order. The Senate may then pass the joint resolution with a simple majority.[10] A joint resolution of disapproval meeting certain criteria cannot be filibustered.[11]

      For a regulation to be invalidated under the CRA, the Congressional resolution of disapproval must either be signed by the President or be passed over the President's veto by two thirds of both Houses of Congress.[11][12]

      Under the CRA, cloture is irrelevant because filibustering is impossible. Democrats would therefore need only two Republican votes to pass the joint resolution of disapproval in the Senate. That said, it remains unlikely that they will manage a simple majority in the House, much less getting the President's signature, so your assertion that "NN is dead in this congress" still has merit, if not for the precise reasons you stated.

    9. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      The Hill, a longtime newsletter, today (as in a few minutes ago) reported that the bill has sufficient votes to require a Floor Vote of the Senate.

      Nice try. It's 2018, not 2017. You need to learn how government works.

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      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    10. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by bobbied · · Score: 1

      You don't understand Senate procedure, that much is obvious.

      There will be no open debate or roll call vote.. Senate procedure allows this to be referred to committee, which will be done in about 30 seconds, likely with a voice vote called by the chair, where it sits until the next congress, at which point it dies in January 2019. There won't be any roll call vote to bash Senators with, it will hit the committee during the election season, when NOTHING happens that absolutely doesn't have to, especially partisan actions brought by the party out of power.

      Keep dreaming... You won't be able to tell who voted what way, all you will have is the chair saying that the voice vote was successful and the bill heads to a committee to die. You won't have what you are thinking here, just a wasted bit of time on the Senate floor for any number of a thousand bills that meet the same fate for similar reasons. The only hope you have is if the Majority leader wants to waste time and do the roll call, and I don't think he's in the mood for that.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    11. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      You don't understand Senate procedure, that much is obvious.

      Pretty sure the title of TFA is:

      Key word: VOTE.

      I guess that could be a complete lie, but I really can't offer an opinion since I don't know. Maybe you could post an article here titled "Senate NOT Will Force Vote On Overturning Net Neutrality Repeal", then I can comment on that possibility.

    12. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by bobbied · · Score: 1

      LOL... You better hope it's a roll call vote, because that's the only way you get "on record" votes to bash folks with. The ONLY motion being debated will be to send the bill to committee, for at most 2 hours. No amendments, no way to change committees, just send it or not. It will be sent to committee.

      My guess is that your "vote" will be after about 30 seconds of debate and will consist of a voice vote called by the chair to send it to committee to die. You might want to ready that quorum call to drag this out so the folks watching C-SPAN don't miss it.

      Harsh reality, but this is dead, with nothing to show for it and no recorded votes to use as ammo.

      But, I'm going to tell you... NN isn't a good issue to run on anyway, it's not going to drive a campaign from loosing to winning.. Yea it may whip up your base some, but it's not going to help you in the middle where contested elections are won and lost. You won't change any votes... You need something else, but with the economy going gang busters, people getting that tax cut in February they will actually see in their paychecks, you guys are in trouble.

      Of course, we have the looming government shutdown, immigration, DACA, border wall scramble starting to turn into an out right mud ball fight, so I'm guessing you will have other things that *might* just work better for you than NN, but by all means, waste your time on this.. LOL

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    13. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by bobbied · · Score: 1

      VOTE? Yes. To refer it to committee. Usually a voice vote that takes about 30 seconds to complete as morning business. I doubt this will be different. Maybe you can have a quorum call in there so the C-SPAN viewers won't blink and miss the whole thing? If you think the majority leader will let this go to a roll call vote you can use to bash his members with, you are sadly mistaken. Without a roll call, all you have is a bill that dies in committee. Good luck!

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    14. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But, you have overturned the argument that it will die without Senators having to go on record as voting against it.

    15. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      VOTE? Yes.

      And that's public record, right?

      Good. Every politicians will have to go on record for or against. That will allow us to vote for the people that support it when their bid comes up.

      ^^^ This.

      Nice troll "nothing matters, give up, let them win" post though. A+ for effort.

    16. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by bobbied · · Score: 1

      What part of "voice vote" don't you get? There will be no record except the motion passed or failed.

      What happens is the chair calls a vote on the question and specifies it be taken by voice vote. He says "All in favor?".... "All opposed?" then judges by what he hears if the vote was in favor or opposed. The question will be to send it to committee "(insert the chair's choice of committees here)"....

      You won't have a record of who voted which way and pretty much EVERYBODY will vote to refer it to committee, some to move it forward, others to see it die in committee. See? No political noose to hang your opponents (they voted to move foreword into committee, don't you know.) and your beloved bill dies, never taken up by the committee, controlled by the majority party....

      So nice pointless maneuver by your side... But that's how this game is played... It's a long tradition by both sides...

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    17. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      So nice pointless maneuver by your side...

      My side is the one where I want net neutrality. What's your side?

      What part of "voice vote" don't you get?

      Sorry, is this a sealed record? Of course it's not.

      Good luck with your trolling. It was a nice attempt.

    18. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by bobbied · · Score: 1

      The record will say "Motion carried" nothing more. Individual votes will not be recorded with voice votes, only the result. To get a record of each senator's vote requires a roll call vote.

      Even if you manage to get a roll call vote, it's only a "send this to committee" action so any republican who thinks it will help them can easily vote for this motion then claim they just sent it to committee to die, much like the house voted 20+ times to repeal Obamacare, knowing it would die in the Senate, but they got their desired voting record...

      In short, you won't get much out of this to hang any Senators with who are on the edge, mainly because there are very few of those. Collins has already put her name on the bill, but she faces reelection in Maine, a nearly blue state anyway so she disarmed your challenger on this issue. Nobody else really cares about this issue but your side... Go take a look at where Senate seats are up for grabs this year.... This issue is meaningless.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    19. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      Nobody else really cares about this issue but your side...

      There you go. My side is one where net neutrality exists. I know you'd like to paint me as a bleeding heart liberal. That's why you'll lose. There're extreme trolls like you on both sides, and in them middle, there's the 90% of us that are capable of thinking rationally about issues for what they are, not whether the person that sponsored them are blue or red.

    20. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by bobbied · · Score: 1

      Finally, you got my point on the Senate vote not giving you what you wanted..

      NN doesn't matter to the middle as much as you'd like to think it does.. It only appeals to your base, but opposition to it appeals to the right so I call this a wash. That begs the question about the middle, where elections are decided. The middle is asking the "How's this NN matter to me and why are the left hyperventilating about it?" questions and not coming up with much. Their Netflix still works, so what's the big deal?

      You guys gather the wrong cards and over play your hands too often. NN isn't a winning issue for you, but by all means, keep thinking it's your trump card...

      Personally, I think you got bigger fish you can fry to better effect than this one, but hey, it's your loss...

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    21. Re:Cloture won't happen, NN is dead by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      TFS says Markey can bring it to the floor for a vote. I don't know enough about the Senate rules to know if that's correct, but I wouldn't dismiss it.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  13. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Republicans can just go along with it. They would avoid the embarrassment for an issue that isn't likely to anger their base (who have no clue what it's about) while simultaneously taking bullets out of the gun Democrats would shoot them with. I mean unless they really are corrupt to the core, there's no reason not to go along with it. I wouldn't presume Trump would veto it either, because it isn't an issue his base cares about.

  14. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by ArhcAngel · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And piss off your biggest donors? No, You want your constituents to believe you are working in their best interest without having to actually commit. Rattling a sabre at the FCC's new rules accomplishes this without getting any blood on their hands because they know the actual vote will fail. Then when the voters complain they just point out there just weren't enough votes.

    --
    "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
  15. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by David_Hart · · Score: 1

    Democrats are with Democrats, even when they take huge sums of money from rapists.

    Glass houses.... Sadly, that's both sides in this political environment. It no longer matters who you keep company with politically, just as long as they are on your side and supporting your agenda.

  16. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LOL. Hillary is most certainly running, she has nothing better to do, misses having power, and hates Trump more than anything.

  17. Re: They think this will buy them votes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    What I have a hard time seeing is that noone wants to make Net Neutrality a law. Which is all it would take.

    What are you talking about? Proposals for that have been malingering as long as the immigration reform laws. Even state legislators have tried.

    No traction. The Majority of the Majority rule means the proposals don't even get debated. But we can have six dozen ACA repeals.

    Yay?

  18. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Republicans are republicans, even when traitors or pedos or sellouts to international corporations or closet case faggots like Kendall here. They have no idea how to win, they just know how to hate Hillary.

    Well Hillary is no longer running. Bring your traitor to 2018, lol. (Snipped homophobic rant here).

    You do know that the next presidential election isn't until 2020 right? Trump is NOT running in 2018, as much as you'd like to run with him as an opponent.

    You might do better if you try to keep it PC.. That last sentence was uncalled for and deadly to democrat types to say... Not that I'm not surprised, the left is only tolerant if it means getting votes... They don't really care otherwise.

  19. Misdirection. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why don't they just vote on making neutrality an ACTUAL LAW.

    Oh right. laws are harder to twist
    unlike arbitrary rules from non-elected positions that change with the administration.

  20. Forcing a vote. by quantaman · · Score: 5, Informative

    For those of us, like me, who were confused how Democrats could force a vote when bills could only be brought to the floor for a vote by the House Majority Leader. It turns out that the congressional review act specifically allows a vote to be schedule by 30 senators sponsoring a bill, bypassing the House Majority Leader.

    --
    I stole this Sig
    1. Re:Forcing a vote. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is fine for action in the Senate. It does not force a vote in the House.

  21. Careful what you wish for... by TheZeitgeist · · Score: 0

    If internet is 'net neutral' and 'regulated like a utility' guess where that leads? It leads to getting billed for how much you use like any other utility. Current ISP model in USA is Grandma pays $100 a month for high-speed cable and uses it for a couple hours of eBay and some Facebookery every week. Meanwhile, next door, Billy Hacker is paying $100 a month too - and he's running a torrent server, a couple crypto miners, and his sad sex life at 4K high quality 24/7. Who do you think is subsidizing the internet for whom in that scenario? If internet actually is regulated/billed like a utility Grandma is soon getting a deal and Billy Hacker's sex life is going to get a lot worse. Oh, and Grandma thinks its a good idea to regulate the internet to get all the smut off...and she votes a lot more than Billy Hacker. Careful what you wish for net neutrality peeps. You just might get it.

    1. Re:Careful what you wish for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you are retarded if you think that

    2. Re: Careful what you wish for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It makes sense to pay for what bandwidth you use. I use a lot and I will gladly pay for that if there isn't a threat of the ISP silently slowing down or blocking certain websites for "reasons".

      No one is forcing ISPs to offer flat fee plans. Buy they want to do that because it's appealing to costumers and if they can also charge the destinations for the same bandwidth and "double dip" then it becomes even more profitable for them but damaging to the customers and the companies who don't bend over to the madness.

      We need to architect a network that tracks usage and automatically bills endpoints for traffic sent every hop of the way. Then an endpoint can request a quality of service to be higher or lower speed (depending on the application, but up to the user) and get billed accordingly for actual usage. The selected QoS might affect packet priority and even routing might change based on that. This would be the best way to integrate all those mesh networks too from the other recent article, and create a sharing economy so that people can choose to transmit traffic for others and get paid for it. Equal playing field and would work nicely with content addressable data being cached locallly.

    3. Re:Careful what you wish for... by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      If internet is 'net neutral' and 'regulated like a utility' guess where that leads? It leads to getting billed for how much you use like any other utility.

      Yes, because "bits" are a lot like "water" and "gas". right?

      If internet actually is regulated/billed like a utility Grandma is soon getting a deal and Billy Hacker's sex life is going to get a lot worse.

      Is your point that most "readers" here are going to identify with "Billy Hacker" therefore support Grandma getting "fleeced" on her internet "bill"?

    4. Re: Careful what you wish for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      too bad you live in a government sponsored telecom monopoly.

    5. Re:Careful what you wish for... by zlives · · Score: 1

      scaremongering doesn't require point or reasoning.

    6. Re:Careful what you wish for... by dryeo · · Score: 2

      You mean like everyone has to pay per minute for local calls on their landline? That kind of regulated like a utility? Sounds better then being charged on which of your neighbors you phone or not being allowed to phone any of your neighbors who the phone company doesn't like the politics off.
      The phone company does own the lines, so perhaps they should be able to control how you use them.

      --
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
    7. Re:Careful what you wish for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What subsidizing? Grandma has the bandwidth access that Billy does. If she wanted to, she could use so much downloading cookie recipes that Billy's porn connection could hang just before the climax shot.
      With your scenario, NN could cause Billy to lose bandwidth so Grandma can bake more cookies.

  22. Re:Were the original rules submitted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The OP is trying to start a meaningful conversation. There was no partisan attack. S/he was just asking a question.

    And BTW, I support(ed) NN and Obama.

  23. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by sexconker · · Score: 0

    LOL. Hillary is most certainly running, she has nothing better to do, misses having power, and hates Trump more than anything.

    Nope. She'd likely die on the campaign trail if she tried. They're currently grooming Chelsea Clinton for a run.

  24. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If Obama or HRC had repealed net neutrality, then all the Trumpsters here would be all over it as the only reason necessary to turn these critters out of office. Now come on folks!

    Since it's Trump doing it, then of course both parties are equally bad on this particular issue, which is not even exceptionally important.

  25. Dissonance by JBMcB · · Score: 1

    How about, instead of passing a bill telling the FCC to keep pretending the internet is a phone service and regulate it as such, pass a bill allowing the FCC to regulate the internet as a data service, ONLY for the purposes of equal access. The reason this is all happening in a round-about fashion is the FCC was never directly given the authority to regulate the internet directly. I'm for them keeping out of it as much as possible, but if you want net neutrality, pass a law saying the FCC can enforce net neutrality.

    --
    My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
    1. Re:Dissonance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you're passing a law giving the FCC enforcement ability, why not have the law require network neutrality as well?

    2. Re:Dissonance by JBMcB · · Score: 1

      That's what I'm saying. Pass a law saying the FCC can regulate the internet for the sole purpose of enforcing common carrier / network neutrality rules.

      --
      My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
  26. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by farble1670 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But really will it change anything in terms of votes?

    It will make every politician take a stand one way or the other then answer for it down the road when they come up for reelection. I'm just hoping it's harder to buy off hundreds of senators and congresspeople than it was to buy off Mr. Pai.

  27. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by meglon · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...and republicans are with republicans, even when they're pedophiles. http://goodizen.com/list-of-co...

    --
    Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. See also: NAZI's
  28. Pai is only where he is because the Republicans by rsilvergun · · Score: 2

    wanted him to be. Trump could have kept the FCC as is. The law only says 3 Republican _appointees_, it says nothing about the personal party affiliations of those appointees.

    And as for Trump, he was in favor of single payer healthcare until the Republicans talked him out of it with what looks like one meeting. He's pretty obviously just doing what the party tells him.

    Bottom line, this _is_ a partisan issue. The Dems favor NN and the Republicans oppose it. To suggest otherwise is to ignore mountains of evidence to the contrary; and this is a site for nerds. The one thing we should hold sacred is evidence.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:Pai is only where he is because the Republicans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is Slashdot. It's full of right wing idiots who ignore anything that might suggest someone who shares their label doesn't actually have their values. You have everyone cheering for JAMES FUCKING DAMORE in the other story despite the fact he actually made it clear today he felt NEO NAZIS are just regular conservatives. (Yeah, he said Google persecuted "conservatives" and then used as evidence that people within Google were sharing those videos of Richard Spencer being punched.)

      At least liberals have the sense to eject "members of their side" when they turn out to, uh, not share their values. Just ask Al Franken.

      So if you're expecting any to recognize that Net Neutrality is actually something Republicans completely oppose, forget it. They'll pretend Conservatives are totally pro-NN, because believing the opposite would make them realize that maybe the Republicans are further in Comcast's pocket than they want to recognize.

  29. regulated/billed like a utility = fair meter by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    regulated/billed like a utility = fair meter

    That is why they don't want to do to full metering with an read out on the meter at your home.
    Right now you get changed for network resend data due there poor lines
    Get changed for data that trying to go to your address even when your modem is off / no power.
    Get changed for docsis arp traffic
    Maybe get changed for some overhead with things like the Comcast wifi hotpot
    Forced to rent / use the ISP router that sends data back to network (likely changed for that data use)

    1. Re:regulated/billed like a utility = fair meter by jpaine619 · · Score: 1

      Are you trying to spell CHARGED?

      I'd not point out the misspelling but, for fuck's sake, you did it 4 times....

    2. Re:regulated/billed like a utility = fair meter by jpaine619 · · Score: 1

      Correction.. 5 fucking times..

  30. Re: They think this will buy them votes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    By rapist, do you mean Mr. Grab Em By Da Pussy?

  31. Time slots are scarce by tepples · · Score: 2

    Yes, because "bits" are a lot like "water" and "gas". right?

    Transmission and reception time slots on your ISP's upstream connection are scarce resources. So are DOCSIS transmission and reception time slots on your neighborhood's CMTS. Thus if Billy Hacker uses 90 percent of the bandwidth during congested time, he ought to be footing 90 percent of the bill for the bandwidth.

  32. This should be for ALL government regulations by schwit1 · · Score: 1
    Force elected officials to do their job. Congress has been a pack of cowards for the past few dozen years not wanting to be held accountable for actually doing their job by voting on important issues.

    Good luck getting the House to take up this issue.

  33. Garbage From a Garbage Can by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Net Neutrality is a foundation stone for how the internet got here and became successful. It wasn't called that in the early years because the rich and powerful weren't attacking it every day and internet regulation was in the hands of good people. Who knew their responsibilities (unlike Johnny Lining His Pockets Every Day).

    All your scary stories would already be true, if they were true. And you know what? Grandma does subsidize Billy Hacker, right now, today. Billy Hacker is living in her basement and is her Grandson. The subsidy is real and not worth talking about.

    Your "Careful what you wish for" scenario has been time-tested and the internet works great. It's one of the most successful systems in the world. So bugger off and try to scare little kids by offering them candies from the back of a van. You'll be more successful at that.

    Anything you'd do to the internet would make it worse.

  34. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by HiThere · · Score: 1

    I think you're right about Trump's attitude, but many of the cohort really believe that corporations should be allowed to do anything that will make them lots of money.

    --

    I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
  35. I'm not him, but... by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 1, Troll

    I am for rational NN. And i am 100% Republican.

    If your party votes no on NN, will you change your vote?

    I'm not the person you're baiting, but here's my answer: I will not. [Change my vote]

    I'm also 100% a Republican, but there are issues on which the party and I disagree.

    That being said, I try to sort the differences by importance to the country, and find other issues are of much greater significance. I believe that immigration is a road to disaster for our country, and needs to be reined in.

    National security is also high on my list, although of lesser importance than immigration.

    I'm a nerd who wants NN, but I also see the larger picture.

    Ask me again if DACA amnesty ever happens.

    1. Re:I'm not him, but... by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      I'm not the person you're baiting, but here's my answer: I will not. [Change my vote]

      And that's why we'll lose. What Trump does well is get people fired up over hot button issues like immigration so they'll never turn sides to vote on the real issues, like net neutrality. You've been suckered.

      BUILD THE WALL. Right?

  36. I don't see the Republicans reigning in by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    immigration. Trump could have rescinded the Obama executive order allowing H1-B spouses to work in the country at any time with one stroke of a pen, and he did not. As soon as all eyes were off he let the guys at Carrier twist in the wind.

    I've seen zero movement from Republicans to meaningfully restrict the flow of cheap labor from overseas. Just a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

    I suppose you might be more worried about immigrants committing crimes (MS-13 and the like), but statistically you'd be better off having those resources spent policing local crimes. Immigrants don't do a lot of crime because they're mostly trying to keep their heads down and keep their jobs. Yes, there are outliers, but they're just that, outliers. The statistics back me up here.

    I'm not expecting the Dems to stop the H1-B program the way they are now. But get more of the Bernie style Dems in office and it'll happen. It just means showing up to your primary (and if you're not in a state with open primaries, registering as Dem). Meanwhile, the left wing Dems support things like ending the wars, single payer healthcare, college for all and minimum wage increases that would benefit me directly (I don't earn min-wage, but it's a great way to get money out mega-corps warchests and into the economy doing real work).

    I guess my point is: I'm not sure what your goals are, but I'm going to assume the best. And if you're goals are the best, you're throwing in with the wrong crowd. Come on over the the Dems. We'll actually help you and your family. Just don't forget to vote in your primary.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:I don't see the Republicans reigning in by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FYI: He's just dog whistling that he's a racist a**hole who wants all dirty non-whites kept out of the country.

  37. How about both you jagoffs... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Start voting third party, and show your bipartisan dissent by not giving either party the votes?

    If people had done that earlier, maybe Bernie could have stuck to the Independent vote, or Johnson or Stein on the Libertarian and Green tickets could have made an impact.

    The fact that everybody chose to blow off third parties because OMG *THE BAD PARTY* could have one is the reason we still have this mess election after election. If you want to bring about meaningful change to America, the first step is to vote out the incumbents wholesale. It doesn't even really matter if they are on the right or wrong side of the issues at this point, purge the parties from the states, congress, and the whitehouse, then if you really need to go back to them do it after they are kowtowing to their consittuents for a tiny opportunity to regain a bit of power. And while they are out of office, finally fucking reform the Electoral College and first past the post voting to something that allows every vote to count in order of preference to the candidate. Sure it could make some of the voting forms large, but a side effect of it is that we'd stop having presidents who start their term with less than 51 percent approval rating, because in order to become president they would have to be approved by 51 or more percent of the population, even if they were otherwise that persons 2nd or 3rd overall choice.

    captcha was 'oration', how quaint given that we're discussing this on the internet :)

  38. I think we've got a much better shot by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    of taking over the Democratic party from the corporate Dems (Nansi Pelosi, Diane Fienstien, Chuck Schumer, etc) then getting a third party in place. Also, I think the too most viable third parties (Libertarian & Green) are hopelessly naive when it comes to policy. Libertarians would gut the gov't to let the free market take over, but there's a reason that 'Libertarian Paradise' meme exists. Sure it's a caricature, but in practice weak gov'ts don't work in complex societies. If all else fails someone comes along and makes a strong one on you lose out by not participating in it.

    As for Green.... probably fine but they're a haven for a lot of the really radical feminists. I can sympathize with those people (we're allies with Saudi Arabia, who treat women awfully), but they're not helping. They tend to make men feel threatened, not by a strong women, but by a women who'll lock them up if they make a pass at them. I'd rather see them integrated into the Dems with their good parts (equal opportunity, wage parity, etc) intact and like any radical mellow out and focus on realistic policy.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  39. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by pots · · Score: 1

    It is a law. ... Okay, so the short explanation is that congress has made a couple of laws which apply here, the most recent is the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In that law they set some standards how to classify different services and assigned the FCC to apply and enforce this law. Initially the FCC classified DSL as a telecommunications service and in 1999 applied the provision of the law which required line sharing of telecommunications services. But in 2002, with a new set of FCC commissioners, cable ISPs were classified as information services, which did not require line sharing (thus no competition). Then in 2005, DSL was reclassified as an information service. Then in 2015, both were reclassified as telecommunications services along with wireless providers. (fiber and other options fit in there somewhere, I'm not sure about classifications or dates) Now the new FCC is trying to reclassify all options as information services again.

    Why doesn't congress enforce the law themselves? Because congress is not law enforcement.

    Why doesn't congress determine for themselves the classification for each and every service? Because there are new services all the time, and also because congress lacks expertise on this, so they wrote the law in this manner to ensure that it would stay current.

    Doesn't that give control of the internet to a bunch on unelected dweebs? No, congress is still in control and congress members are elected.

    If congress is in control, then why isn't congress reversing this decision? Because this decision is exactly what congress wants. This is what Pai was put in place to do. Not every congress member wants this, which is why we have the vote mentioned in the story, but the vote will fail to change anything because this is what most of congress wants.

  40. Re: They think this will buy them votes... by Monster_user · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Republicans are big on profit, and corporate freedoms. If enough Republicans don't know enough about Net Neutrality, they would likely swallow any propaganda against it as harming capitalism. Republicans are big into the religion of capitalism, and usually back the "free market" solution. Even when we know that solution doesn't work. Capitalism is meant to be a tool, not a guiding philosophy. And Net Neutrality is about protecting and maintaining critical infrastructure. Roads, phones, internet, our nation depends on these things nowadays.

  41. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    then answer for it

    hahahahahahahaha

  42. Would be nice if Congress did their job by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    under the Congressional Review Act -- which lets Congress nullify recently passed regulations with a simple majority

    What bullsh**. Congress created these regulatory agencies so that un-elected bureaucrats would pass laws^h^h^h^h regulations that Congress doesn't have the balls to pass on their own because they know if they voted yes for many of these regulations they would have to face the voters each election. Because these agencies are allowed to have people fined or arrested, that means they are passing laws and according to our Constitution only the Legislative branch has the authority to do this.

    So all of the agencies should be declared un-Constitutional, or modified so they can't create regulations only enforce what is made law and then the spineless a**h**** in Congress should be required to vote for every regulation they believe is legitimate and passed to the President for signing.

    I would image the 81k pages of regulations in force would drop precipitously if they had to do that.

  43. This is not a rocket by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Congress needs to have committee. In this committee they need to meet with different people on their viewpoints on how net neutrality should work. They need to listen less to FAANG and more to smaller companies and individuals. Then they need to craft a bill and label the bill the Net Neutrality Act of 2018 and vote on it. THIS IS THEIR FUCKING JOB NOT THE FCC, FTC, FAA, NSA, NRA or any other stupid acronym. It also better have some consequences for privacy issues.

    I bet Trump would even sign the damn thing if it got support and took a few more regulations off the books.

    Net Neutrality is not the arbitrary function of the FCC nor should it ever should be. The very fact that it was squashed in the manner that it was is the fundamental example as to why congress needs to quit screwing the pooch and do their job or get out.

  44. Lawmakers back into law-making by mi · · Score: 1

    Whatever the outcome, this is wonderful news! Lawmakers are back into, you know, making laws — instead of delegating the responsibility to the unelected "commissions" and "agencies".

    Though of questionable Constitutional standing, these issue "rules" and "regulations" that are no less binding than actual laws...

    Well, I say, if the would-be ordinance is too complex for Congress to properly discuss and vote on, perhaps, it should not be considered at all! That government is best, that governs least — remember?

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  45. Re:Were the original rules submitted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is it moot? Can the Congressional Review Act only be used to overturn regulations that the Congressional Review Act initially set?

  46. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    This is politics. There is value in making each individual legislator commit one way or another, because some people care, and anything can be made into a campaign issue.

    The FCC had the authority to enforce NN, and now has decided not to. This is a case where Congress should decide one way or another.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  47. Re:Well, it's a start but in the wrong direction by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    No, this is just fine. The FCC was doing what it was authorized to do by Congress. Of course, to make this permanent, we do need Congressional action.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  48. Re:They think this will buy them votes... by MobyDisk · · Score: 1

    Someone could cop-out by arguing that they support neutrality, but they don't want to override the decision of a federal agency. It would be malarkey, but it would probably work.