House Panel Votes Down Net Neutrality

Helen Whalen Cohen | March 10, 2011 4:57 PM

The Energy and Commerce telecom subcommittee voted to repeal net neutrality in a 15-8 vote, The Hill reports.

Democrats claimed that the regulations were necessary to protect internet openness. But Republicans who voted for repeal told The Hill that the FCC exceeded it's regulatory authority. "We have an open and thriving Internet thanks to our historical hands-off approach. The Internet works pretty well; it’s the government that doesn’t," Greg Walden (R-Ore) explained.

The chance of majorities in both the House and Senate approving of repeal are slim, and the chance of President Obama signing it are even slimmer, but if it were to magically happen somehow, the FCC would not be able to create similar rules in the future.