House Approves Net Neutrality Rule-Blocking Amendment

The House late Thursday voted to approve an amendment that would block implementation of the FCC's network neutrality rules.

It would bar funding for the rules in the continuing resolution (CR), a stop-gap appropriations bill that needs to pass by March 4, when the previous CR expires. 

The amendment was introduced by Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), chairman of the House Communications Subcommittee.

The vote was 244 to 181.

"We thank Reps. Mario Diaz Balart, Jo Ann Emerson, and Tom Graves for their leadership with us today protecting the Internet from excessive government regulation," said Rep. Walden and House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) in a statement. "We are grateful to the Appropriations Committee for helping us push the pause button on these harmful rules so that we can advance permanent protections for innovators and consumers. Together we and our colleagues send a strong message to the FCC that they have overstepped their authorities. We look forward to continuing this critical work to ensure that the open and thriving Internet we know today remains available to customers and job-creating entrepreneurs alike."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.