House Panel to Vote on ‘Disapproving’ Net Neutrality

The congressional assault on network neutrality regulations adopted by the Democratic-led Federal Communications Commission in December continues Wednesday, when the House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee votes on a “resolution of disapproval” designed to derail the requirements, which prohibit the blocking or degrading of online competitors.

The panel is headed by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., who successfully added an amendment to the Continuing Resolution that would bar the agency from using its funding to implement the rules. Net neutrality advocates insist the regs are necessary to prevent broadband providers, especially major players such as AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, from dominating the Internet. But critics argue that the rules leave the Internet vulnerable to government intervention while imposing burdensome restrictions on communications companies.