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Senate Democrats have the 50 votes they need to force a Congressional Review Act vote on the Federal Communication Commission's decision to gut net neutrality rules. They're going to force that vote next month, on May 9, a Democratic aide tells Politico, setting up a vote the following week.
Senate Democrats have 50 votes lined up — more than enough to force a vote under the Congressional Review Act, but one shy of the 51 required for passage. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is the only Republican to have pledged support for the effort so far.
Even with Senate passage, the Democrats’ proposal would be unlikely to get through the House or earn Trump’s signature. But their plans for a floor fight would still add visibility to an issue that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has suggested will resonate with younger, internet-savvy voters.
“We’re in the homestretch in the fight to save net neutrality,” Schumer said in a statement. “Soon, the American people will know which side their member of Congress is on: fighting for big corporations and ISPs or defending small business owners, entrepreneurs, middle-class families and every-day consumers.”
Democrats are betting on net neutrality being a more critical issue for voters in November. It sure won't hurt Democrats. Recent polling shows that there's overwhelming opposition to the FCC's repeal of net neutrality across the board: 86 percent among all voters and 82 percent of Republicans and 90 percent of Democrats.