House GOP moves to cut network neutrality funding

House Republicans are trying for a second time to kill the Federal Communications Commission’s network neutrality rules by denying enforcement funding. The House Appropriations Committee released a draft of its FY12 Financial Services Appropriations bill with language that would prohibit money for the agency’s Open Internet Order. Republicans say the FCC rules amount to government over-regulation of the Internet. But net neutrality supporters were quick to criticize the GOP’s move. “The legislation the majority wrote would allow the largest telecommunications companies to reshape the Internet in their own image, favoring some and disadvantaging others,” Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn said.