House plans vote on Net neutrality
Democrats lost a vote on Net neutrality in a committee. Now they're trying again in a House floor vote this week.
The House is planning a floor vote on a major telecommunications bill on Wednesday, and Democrats are trying to offer an amendment backed by large Internet companies that would impose stiff Net neutrality regulations on telecommunications providers.
An amendment (click for PDF) drafted by Rep. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, would prohibit broadband providers from offering a two-tier Internet service with "content, applications and services" that receive favored treatment.
Net neutrality's crowded field
| Bill number | Lead sponsor(s) | What It Proposes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.2360 | Wyden (D) | No two-tier Internet | Still in Senate committee |
| S.2917 | Snowe (R) and Dorgan (D) | No two-tier Internet | Just introduced |
| HR5417 | Sensenbrenner (R) and Conyers (D) | Antitrust extended to Net neutrality | Awaiting House floor vote |
| HR5273 | Markey (D) | No two-tier Internet | Still in House committee * |
| HR5252 | Barton (R) and Rush (D) | FCC can police complaints | Awaiting House floor vote |
| S.2686 | Stevens (R) and Inouye (D) | FCC will do a study | Senate committee vote expected in June |
* Republicans have defeated similar language twice as an amendment to a telecommunications bill
Source: CNET News.com research
After Markey's amendment failed by a 22-34 margin during a committee vote in April, Net neutrality supporters have redoubled their efforts to lobby Congress. Google co-founder Sergey Brin
For their part, telecommunications companies like Verizon Communications, AT&T and Comcast are trying a lower-key lobbying approach but are just as emphatic in arguing that no new regulations are needed. They point out that the Federal Communications Commission already has the power to punish companies that block certain Web sites, and say flexibility in operating their networks is crucial to justifying investing billions of dollars in higher-speed access.
The House Rules Committee is meeting at 12:30 p.m. PDT on Wednesday to decide which amendments will be permitted during this week's floor vote on the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act. Markey's amendment will be discussed. Another possibility is another bill with stiff Net neutrality regulations approved by the House Judiciary Committee on May 25.
In an unusual twist, many committee members voted for it not because of concerns about Net neutrality, but instead because of a jurisdictional turf battle over antitrust. If those antitrust concerns are addressed, one industry representative following the issue suggested, then committee members' interest in the COPE Act would fade.
The concept of Network neutrality, which generally means that all Internet sites must be treated equally, has drawn a list of high-profile backers, from actress Alyssa Milano to Vint Cerf, one of the technical pioneers of the Internet. It has also led to a political rift between big Internet companies such as Google and Yahoo that back it--and telecom companies that argue federal legislation will curb their ability to manage their own networks.
Also on Wednesday, Sen. Ted Stevens, the Alaska Republican who serves as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said he might rewrite his own telecommunications legislation to make it more Net neutrality-friendly. Right now it's missing any such regulations.
The House Republican leadership said in a statement that the debate over the COPE Act could begin on Thursday and continue through Friday.