[NewsPoster]

On Wednesday The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations posted a press release outlining the Financial Services Bill for the fiscal year 2016. Among the highlights released by the subcommittee there's an item to cut back on funding for the FCC and hobble the ruling on Net Neutrality. The bill was approved by the subcommittee on Thursday and could be voted on by the full Committee as early as this coming week.

According to the press release the FCC received $340 million in funding during fiscal year 2015 and had requested a $48 million increase for 2016. Instead the FCC's allotment was cut down to $315. The legislation goes on to say that the FCC's Net Neutrality ruling, which went into effect this past Friday, will be suspended pending the "certain court cases" concerning it. It also prohibits the FCC from regulating rates for wireline and wireless internet service and requires the Commission post any proposed regulations 21 days before voting on them.

It isn't made clear how many of the court cases regarding Net Neutrality and Title II reclassification the legislation is referring to, or if it means all of them. Petitions to the court were made requesting it to order a stay on the ruling after requesting a stay from the FCC as a formality.

On Thursday, the courts denied those petitions. In a statement FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler called it a huge victory for internet consumers and innovators saying that "there will be a referee on the field to keep the Internet fast, fair and open. Blocking, throttling, pay-for-priority fast lanes and other efforts to come between consumers and the Internet are now things of the past. The rules also give broadband providers the certainty and economic incentive to build fast and competitive broadband networks."

As of June 12, the sixtieth day since the new regulations were posted, the FCC's Open Internet Rules are now in effect, at least until this or any number of other bills with items intended to disable, partly or completely, the FCC's ruling are passed. The Financial Services Bill is particularly problematic, being so full of other items and important to the Government's ability to operate.

The bill still has a long way to go after being voted on by the House Appropriations Committee, if and when it passes. The House of Representatives and the Senate will have to pass it. Interest in nixing Net Neutrality in both arms of the current Congress on the Republican side of the aisle appears high, but any bill will still need to be signed by President Obama. It's not certain that the item about the FCC and Net Neutrality alone would warrant a veto of the whole bill, but it's a large document and Obama has been a strong supporter of Net Neutrality throughout.

[prl99]

Typical Republican view of society. All that matters is big business. People don't matter one bit and this bill demonstrates it. When will the US open their eyes and quit voting for the Republican party. Before you Republicans complain about the Democrats take an honest look at the way current Republicans are so right wing it makes Republications of just 20-30 years ago look like today's Democrats (which isn't saying much for Democrats). If you're too young to understand this comment, check out the history books, you know those things that are made of paper.

[Charles Martin]

While I concur with your sentiment that the Republican party has evolved greatly from the pre-Reagan era (kind of ironic given that many in the leadership appear not to believe in evolution ...), I have to say that this is a terrible dilemma when one only has two viable political parties. Nobody -- not even progressives -- want one-party rule forevermore. Still, perhaps this will finally give other parties the opportunity to raise their public profile -- other countries have multiple parties (and some even have -- gasp! -- proportional representation!) that seems to work out well, or at least get more of a diversity of views out there, which in a "marketplace of ideas" would seem to be a good thing.