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Policy

The Fight to Save Net Neutrality Is Heating Up

January 17, 2018

The many bids to try to stop the FCC’s rollback of net neutrality rules are gathering momentum.

Democrat push: Senate Democrats say they need just one more supporter to win a vote to overturn the FCC repeal. They’re using the Congressional Review Act, which allows them to overturn recent orders by federal agencies. But as the New York Times notes, it would need approval from the house of representatives and the president, so it's a long shot.

State lawsuits: No fewer than 21 states have filed legal challenges against the rollback with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Eric Schneiderman, New York’s attorney general, calls the repeal “arbitrary and capricious.”

Advocacy in action: Internet rights groups—including Free Press, the Open Technology Institute, and Mozilla—have also filed similar challenges.

Midterm maneuvering: A lot of this activity is designed to turn net neutrality into a top-tier issue in the midterm elections, which will put a large chunk of Congress on the hot seat in November. Voting then may further shape the rule changes.

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