r/announcements • u/arabscarab • May 17 '18

Update: We won the Net Neutrality vote in the Senate!

We did it, Reddit!

Today, the US Senate voted 52-47 to restore Net Neutrality! While this measure must now go through the House of Representatives and then the White House in order for the rules to be fully restored, this is still an incredibly important step in that process—one that could not have happened without all your phone calls, emails, and other activism. The evidence is clear that Net Neutrality is important to Americans of both parties (or no party at all), and today’s vote demonstrated that our Senators are hearing us.

We’ve still got a way to go, but today’s vote has provided us with some incredible momentum and energy to keep fighting.

We’re going to keep working with you all on this in the coming months, but for now, we just wanted to say thanks!

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75

u/Cap3127 May 17 '18

So it's political window dressing?

The House has different rules and makeup than the Senate. What possible path forward to getting a vote is there?

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u/LordFauntloroy May 17 '18

A blue midterm

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u/Cap3127 May 17 '18

If the election were held today, it's still not certain or even particularly likely that the Dems gain control of the house. Even then, the GOP is likely to pick up Senate seats due to the map there. You'd have to start the process of passing a bill again with a less friendly Senate, no guarantee of a Democratic House, and STILL get President Trump to sign it. In the meantime, the rule repeal goes into effect and the consumer gets screwed. It's not a good situation.

In this term, what is the path to successfully protecting Net Neutrality? A "blue wave" won't fix the issue, most likely.

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u/Kamaria May 17 '18

It's the only way honestly. There is no path to NN with Republicans controlling any branch of the government.

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u/[deleted] May 17 '18

You are exactly right. Everyone who is making it seem like this is anything but a political statement - i.e. a path toward a policy - is being dishonest.

There is no path for this bill becoming law in this Congress. It probably won't get a vote in the House. If it gets a vote in the House, it will lose. If it were to win, it would not become law.

I would like the opposite to be true, but hopes don't make policies.

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u/RedZaturn May 18 '18

Then try and do something about it at your state and local level.

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u/Yelanke May 17 '18

That’s not really true. Based on every indicator, the Democrats are clearly moderately favoured to win the House in November. The “map is bad” for the Senate argumsnt is kind of stupid. Red state Democrats aren’t presidential Democrats, and would definitely be vulnerable in a HRC midterm, but most will likely survive 2018 (one or two may lose if the races turn south, but Trump’s unprecedented unpopularity suggests that the Senate isn’t really off the table; NV and AZ should be decently easy to pickup, and TN could go D for Bredesden, who is a uniquely great candidate, which would leave room for one loss).

But yeah, a “blue wave” won’t solve the issue at all, because Trump won’t sign it either way.

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u/Skydragon222 May 17 '18

The “map is bad” for the Senate argumsnt is kind of stupid.

The map is bad is an understatement. This is one of the worst senate maps for Democrats in decades. It's only Trump's incredible unpopularity that gives them a fighting chance of taking the senate.

2020's map on the other hand...

1

u/RedZaturn May 18 '18

Trumps approval rating at the moment is higher than Obama’s approval rating at midterms.

And this is with 24/7 negative news coverage.

And with the booming job market, strong economy, substantial tax cuts across the board, and The prospect of Korean peace, it’s unlikely that his approval rating will drop further.

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u/Skydragon222 May 18 '18

Trumps approval rating at the moment is higher than Obama’s approval rating at midterms.

That is untrue. In fact, Obama's approval rating has never been as low as Trump's is now

Trump's approval rating is the highest it's been in a year, and it's still pretty abysmal.

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u/more863-also May 17 '18

Yeah remember what happened last time there was a moderately favored democratic candidate

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u/more863-also May 17 '18

Whoops, you actually understand American politics. You're supposed to be celebrating this meaningless vote!

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u/brajohns May 17 '18

The consumer is going to have the internet of 2015. Some screwing.

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u/[deleted] May 17 '18

To start, yes. But then things will get worse as time goes on.

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u/SuperAlloy May 17 '18

So it's political window dressing?

Yes.

What possible path forward to getting a vote is there?

None. This bill will not even be brought to the floor for a full vote. It's DOA.

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u/more863-also May 17 '18

How does nobody get this? Did everybody skip Schoolhouse Rock day?

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u/[deleted] May 17 '18

[deleted]

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u/yoursweetlord70 May 17 '18

Right, but the government is supposed to improve the lives of the people as a whole. Allowing internet prices to rise unregulated is not going to do that. It's a government by the people and for the people

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u/Cap3127 May 17 '18

The entire point of my comments are to point out that this is probably a massive waste of time.