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Net neutrality: These are the senators who voted to save it

How did your senator vote on the successful last-ditch effort to maintain net neutrality? Find out below.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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Roger Cheng
Morgan Little
4 min read

In a surprising vote Wednesday, the Senate voted to restore the Net neutrality policies previously repealed by the FCC, thanks to a handful of Republicans joining Democrats in a last-ditch effort. Three Republicans, Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Kennedy (R-LA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) proved instrumental in the Senate's 52-47 vote.

Senate Democrats had pushed for a vote to enact the Congressional Review Act, or CRA, to halt the Federal Communications Commission's rollback of Obama-era rules governing the open internet. Well, they got the vote Wednesday, and it went their way.

That means the FCC has a new hurdle in its efforts to abolish the rules. The agency has said the 2015 net neutrality rules will finally come to an end on June 11, after they voted last year to abolish the rules against heated opposition from Democrats and numerous tech companies.

After the vote, the FCC showed little indication the Senate vote will change its thinking on net neutrality. 

"These policies-not multi-Pinocchio claims about the end of the Internet that are being promoted in service of partisan politics-are the path to delivering more broadband for more Americans," FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said in a statement.

The Senate vote marked one of the last chances to save net neutrality, but its success doesn't mean the battle is over. Beyond the Senate, the CRA needs approval from the House of Representatives and President Donald Trump. Considering that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who spearheaded the repeal of the rules, is a Trump appointee, it's unlikely Trump will support the CRA. 

Apart from trying to save net neutrality, Senate Democrats pushed for this vote because they wanted every senator to go on the record on net neutrality, part of a move to make sure this becomes an issue during the midterm elections. Most polls show a majority of Americans support net neutrality, even though internet service providers and Republicans have generally faulted the rules as too antiquated and an impediment to investment into new networks. 

With that in mind, how did every senator vote? Below is a breakdown of whether they voted for or against the CRA:

For:

Against:

Not voting