Senate Democrats and a handful of Republicans passed a resolution Wednesday aimed at restoring “net neutrality” regulations that the Federal Communications Commission killed last year, thanks to a parliamentary tactic that gave the minority a unique opportunity to control the Senate floor agenda.
Lawmakers voted 52-47 to pass a resolution that would reverse an FCC decision ending an Obama-era rule requiring the government to regulate the Internet like it does the telecommunications industry.
Three Republicans voted with Democrats to pass the measure, providing a rare victory for Democrats: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John Kennedy of Louisiana, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
But the victory may be limited to the Senate. The resolution now heads to likely defeat in the GOP-led House, where House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has no plans to bring it up for a vote.
Without House passage, the FCC decision to end the Obama-era rule will take effect on June 12.
“This is not going anywhere,” Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who heads the Senate Commerce panel, said Wednesday. Thune called on Democrats to work with the GOP on bipartisan legislation that would regulate the Internet with a “light touch” rather than the Obama-era rule, which opponents said would be too heavy-handed and would squelch innovation.
Thune tried to bring up such a proposal, but was blocked by Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who said the measure was “problematic” and “not ripe” for consideration.
Markey is the sponsor of the Senate resolution, which would use the Congressional Review Act to reverse the FCC rule ending the Obama-era Internet regulation.
Markey said the regulation should be restored to protect consumers and small businesses from big Internet company practices such as throttling, favoritism and higher prices.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., accused the FCC, now led by GOP appointees, of acting as “a puppet for giant Internet providers” who do not value consumers or small business interests.
But Thune said there has been no evidence that Internet providers have taken any of the negative actions Democrats say will occur without the regulation. “There isn’t going to be any change from what we have seen up until this point,” he said.
