Republican Sen. Susan Collins is calling on the FCC to cancel the net neutrality vote

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Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King are calling on Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai to cancel Thursday's vote on net neutrality.

In a letter published Thursday morning, Collins and King urged Pai to cancel the vote in order to give Congress and the FCC time to hold public hearings. Collins, a Republican, and King, an Independent, are both senators from Maine.

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"This is a matter of enormous importance with significant implications for our entire economy, and therefore merits the most thorough, deliberate, and thoughtful process that can be provided," Collins and King wrote. "The process thus far in this important matter has not met that standard."

The FCC on Thursday will vote on a proposal to repeal its net-neutrality rules (you can watch the hearing live here). Without net-neutrality protections, ISPs could block users from streaming video from Netflix or YouTube or charge extra just to access those sites. They could also force Netflix or YouTube to pay more to ensure that its videos be streamed at the same speed and quality as at other video sites.

The rules wouldn't take effect for a few months - some 60 days after they are published in the Federal Register. In the meantime, consumer-advocacy groups and other opponents will almost certainly file suit to try to block them. Members of Congress, particularly Democrats, are likely to introduce legislation to try to overturn them.

Business Insider will be attending the FCC hearing in Washington. For the latest update, head on over to Tech Insider.