Senate receives official net neutrality notice from FCC

The Senate has received the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) official notice of measures to scrap net neutrality rules, two congressional sources confirmed.

The notice is one of the first procedural steps in starting the 60-day deadline Congress has to stop the FCC’s net neutrality repeal with the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The House must also receive notice, and it must be published in the Federal Register for the rest of the process to start.

Sources said that it has yet to be determined when this will happen but noted it could be as early as Friday or next week.

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After the 60-day deadline, Congress would no longer be able to use a CRA resolution to stop the FCC’s plan from continuing.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who is spearheading the CRA in the Senate, currently has 50 votes, including Republican Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), but is still one vote short of what’s needed to pass the measure.

Pro-net neutrality advocacy group Fight for the Future is pushing for Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) to become the 51st vote. Even if Kennedy or another Republican is swayed, it’s unclear if the CRA would be able to get the necessary votes in the House.

Opponents of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to get rid of net neutrality rules are hopeful that if a CRA doesn’t work, one of the lawsuits being filed against scrapping the rules will be successful.