Following the highly public and controversial reversal of net neutrality rules by Ajit Pai, the new chair of the FCC under the Trump administration, several movements and even some members of Congress took issue with the move.
Triumphing over earlier uncertainty about whether the movement to reinstate net neutrality would be able to court enough support from Republican senators to win, the 52-47 vote today was thanks to the support of Republican Senators Susan Collins, John Kennedy, of Louisiana and Lisa Murkowski.
This is certainly a positive development for those holding out hope for the reclassification of internet services under Title II guidelines but, as we explained last year, there is a lot more to be done before the FCC"s decision can be overruled. For one, the House would also need to vote on a similar bill, which is not a done deal by any measure. Even if the House were in favor of net neutrality, the bill would also need presidential approval. Given the fact that Pai is Trump"s appointee for heading the FCC, it"s quite likely that Trump would simply veto the bill, thus returning the ball to Congress.
With midterms fast approaching, and several US Congressmen seeking re-election, it is possible that some may move to vote in favor of net neutrality, which is vastly popular among the electorate. At the moment, however, this victory seems more like the first step in a very long, uphill battle than the end of the line.
Source: Senate.gov via The Verge