Congress still has the option of rolling back the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to kill the Obama-era “net neutrality” rule, which took effect Monday, but it probably won’t.
In May, the Senate employed the rarely used Congressional Review Act, or CRA, to pass a resolution rejecting the FCC’s decision to kill the rule. Supporters of that vote were hoping the House would follow suit before Monday, when the FCC’s decision was due to take effect.
The House vote never happened, and the FCC’s decision became final. But under the CRA, the House could still take up the Senate resolution anytime this year if it wants.
House Republican leaders have shown no interest in bringing up the Senate bill, which was passed mainly by Democrats. And even if the House could pass it, President Trump is expected to veto it.
House Democrats, however, are hoping public pressure over what has become a populist issue will force the GOP in the coming months to take up the Senate-passed bill to restore net neutrality.
“The people saying we can’t pass the resolution to #SaveTheInternet in the House are the same people who were saying we couldn’t do it in the Senate,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., the author of the Senate CRA resolution, tweeted Monday. “Ignore them. Just keep fighting.”
Lawmakers are at odds over rules put in place by the FCC during the Obama administration that would give the commission the authority to govern Internet companies like they do the telecommunications industry.
Proponents say this will ensure big Internet companies treat everyone fairly and do not use blocking, throttling, or other techniques that harm consumers and smaller businesses.
But net neutrality opponents say the FCC ruling was unnecessary and would stifle the industry with burdensome rules and regulations.
The FCC, led by Trump appointee Ajit Pai, reversed the Obama-era ruling.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who is chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said he is hoping Republicans and Democrats come up with compromise legislation that includes some protections for Internet consumers without stifling innovation with overregulation.
