Senate Democrats on Wednesday filed a discharge petition that will force a vote to restore Obama-era Internet regulations.
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said there are 50 Senate signatures on the petition, enough to allow a floor vote on a resolution that would restore “net neutrality.”
The vote would reverse a recent ruling by the Federal Communications Commission ending the Obama regulation requiring the Internet to be governed like telecommunications companies.
“We are now one step away from allowing the American public to see where their elected officials stand on protecting Internet services,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., does not support the measure but it could pass by a 50-49 vote. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is the lone Republican supporter so far and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is absent.
Other Republicans, including Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., have told the Washington Examiner they may support the bill.
Republican opponents say reverting to the Obama-era governance of the Internet stifles innovation and is unnecessary. But Democrats say the regulations is needed to protect a free and open internet that they believe could be jeopardized by internet companies using throttling and other techniques to show favoritism to certain internet sites.
“This would fully restore the rules that ensure Americans aren’t subject to higher prices, slower internet or even blocked websites,” Markey said.
Republican leadership aides said they don’t know when the measure will get a vote but acknowledge it could pass. Senate Democrats are hopeful that Senate passage will pressure the House into taking it up.
But the GOP-led House has no intention of bringing up the measure, meaning it will ultimately die in Congress. Only about two dozen GOP lawmakers back the language in the House.
Under the law, Congress has until June 12 to reverse the FCC rule or lose the authority to do so.
