Senate Vote on Net Neutrality Set For Thursday

Unless You Opt For Net Neutrality
And Other Laws Limiting Free Speech
Then - Kiss Your Free Speech Goodbye.

Today in Washington, D.C. - Nov. 9, 2011:
This week the House is not in session. The Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM today. Following morning business, the Senate began consideration of S.J. Res. 6, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R-TX) resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act of the FCC’s net neutrality regulations.

After 4 hours of debate on net neutrality, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 674, the bipartisan, House-passed bill to repeal a requirement that government contractors have 3% of their payments withheld for taxes.

Tomorrow, the Senate will begin debate on S.J. Res. 27, Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act of the EPA’s cross-state air pollution regulations.

Shortly after noon on Thursday, the Senate will vote on the motion to proceed to S.J. Res. 6 and then the motion to proceed to S.J. Res. 27. Both need only a majority to succeed, and consideration of the measure would begin next week if either motion is agreed to.

At 2:15 tomorrow, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 674. Senators will then vote on 2 amendments to the bill, followed by a vote on final passage. The Senate will then vote on cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 2354, the next minibus bill, which includes the Fiscal Year 2012 Energy-Water, Financial Services, and State-Foreign Operations appropriations bills.

Yesterday, the Senate voted 99-0 to confirm Evan Wallach as a Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit.

Today, the Senate is debating a resolution of disapproval offered by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) of the FCC’s new net neutrality regulations, which, if agreed to by the Senate, would overturn those regulations. A vote on the resolution, which requires only a majority for adoption, is scheduled for noon tomorrow.

Senators Mitch McConnell and Kay Bailey Hutchison detailed problems with net neutrality today in the Philadelphia Inquire: “Unless the Senate acts on a measure under consideration this week, Internet service providers will be subject to the [FCC’s] new ‘Net neutrality’ rules. Under these mandates, broadband companies would lose control over the traffic and technology flowing through their infrastructure. Government bureaucrats would tell companies what is and is not a ‘reasonable’ way to operate their systems. These regulatory burdens would discourage Internet service providers from innovating and investing, inject uncertainty into a thriving sector of our economy, and jeopardize the information industry's vast potential for growth. More regulation would diminish broadband providers' expected returns on their capital. Lower returns mean less investment, which means fewer jobs created. Smaller companies would suffer the most, as they operate on thinner margins. With unemployment over 9 percent, do we really need this kind of regulatory overreach?”

They note, “The government's primary rationale for these new rules is that broadband providers must be prevented from blocking certain online content and services. On the surface, this is an admirable goal. We, too, believe in an open Internet free of unreasonable discrimination. But market forces have and will continue to prevent such discrimination. . . . [D]espite a decade of Net neutrality advocates' doomsday warnings that rampant discrimination is imminent, the Internet remains open. The few instances of bad behavior have been dealt with swiftly by the free market or by the FCC using the tools it already has. In short, Net neutrality is a big-government solution in search of a problem.”

“Moreover,” they warn, “this FCC power grab is unprecedented and, in our estimation, unlawful. Congress has never given the commission the authority to regulate Internet providers' management of their networks.”

While the points made Sens. McConnell and Hutchison are indeed relevant, also of critical importance is the threat to free speech. Yesterday, the ARRA News Service editor continued the discussions on why Net Neutrality should be defeated and a listed senators to contact. As Dr. Bill Smith previously said on Internet net neutrality, "In my opinion and the opinion of most Americans, this issue before the Senate is not left verses right (in the traditional sense) or Democrat verses Republican. It is progressive elitist socialism verses the rest of America. Unfortunately, it is within the Democrat Party that this movement is currently operating. But the same dangers could exist in the future with elitists in any political party whom believe they have the need to control the voice of the people.

It is patently obvious that net neutrality will result in reduced access and eventual suppression of freedom of speech. We can ill afford giving up any avenue of free speech which is used by both left and right minded citizens to freely address issues. Free speech is used by Americans to address and even mock actions government officials that walk away from the mainstream of America."

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