Senate rejects overturning Net neutrality

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate rejected a measure to overturn the Federal Communication Commission's Net-neutrality rules Thursday.

The measure passed the House in April, but failed in the Senate Thursday to pick up the needed 51 votes for passage, getting 46 yeas and 52 nays, The Hill reported. It wasn't subject to a filibuster.

Earlier this week the White House threatened to veto the measure if it cleared the Senate.

The Net-neutrality rules approved by the FCC in December would prevent Internet service providers from discriminating between two similar Web sites or content providers.

The rules are scheduled to go into effect on Nov. 20 but face several lawsuits that argue the FCC exceeded its authority when it adopted the regulations.

"Without Net neutrality, Americans' access to the Internet would hinge not on our right to free speech but on the whims of the corporations that would control it," Christopher Calabrese, legislative council for the American Civil Liberties Union, told The Hill.

Republicans argued the FCC overreached its legal authority in passing what they branded as a "job-killing" regulation.

Supporters said the commission applied a soft touch to ensure the Internet keeps a level playing field.

An FCC spokesman called the vote "a win for consumers and businesses."