November, 10 2011, 11:39am EDT
Senate Votes to Uphold FCC Net Neutrality Rules
Free Press Action Fund is pleased that the Senate sided with Internet users in halting "resolution of disapproval"
WASHINGTON
On Thursday, the Senate rejected a motion to proceed on its "resolution of disapproval" of the Federal Communications Commission's Net Neutrality rules. The resolution failed by a margin of 52 - 46. The measure was an effort by Senate Republicans to reverse the FCC's December 2010 rules intended to prevent Internet service providers from blocking or discriminating against content and applications on the Web.
Free Press Action Fund President and CEO Craig Aaron made the following statement:
"We are pleased that the Senate stopped this dangerous resolution in its tracks. The Senate sent a strong signal today to would-be gatekeepers that the free and open Internet needs to stay that way. The American public doesn't want phone and cable companies undercutting competition, deciding which websites will work or censoring what people can do online. And this shows that the Senate, for today at least, is willing to stand up to extremists who would rather waste time with partisan measures than make good policy.
"The fight for real Net Neutrality continues. Now that this appalling legislative stunt is finished, I hope policymakers can return to the actual priority here: strengthening these rules to protect all Internet users, no matter if they connect from their home computer or a mobile phone. Free Press will continue to push the FCC to make better rules and to actually enforce them. Today's vote is a major victory for the public, but the fight for the free and open Internet is far from over."
Free Press was created to give people a voice in the crucial decisions that shape our media. We believe that positive social change, racial justice and meaningful engagement in public life require equitable access to technology, diverse and independent ownership of media platforms, and journalism that holds leaders accountable and tells people what's actually happening in their communities.
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Noting those decisions on the FISA reauthorization legislation, Ruddock stressed that "today's vote is a victory but follows a recent loss and ongoing threat as that Section 702 bill moves to the Senate this week too."
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Since 2011, the U.N. Security Council has rejected the Palestinian Authority's request for full member status. On April 2, the Palestinian Observer Mission to the U.N. requested that the council once again take up consideration of its membership application. According to the first State Department cable, U.N. meetings since the beginning of April suggest that Algeria, China, Guyana, Mozambique, Russia, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, and Malta support granting Palestine full membership to the U.N. It also says that France, Japan, and Korea are undecided, while the United Kingdom will likely abstain from a vote.
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