The Democrats are doing something to keep net neutrality alive. Twin bills were introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to revive the open Internet rule of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that was killed by a recent court decision.
On Monday, Representatives Henry Waxman and Anna Eshoo of California submitted a bill titled "Open Internet Preservation Act of 2014." A similar version of the bill was initiated by Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts.
The congressional bill [PDF] proposes to preserve the open Internet rule of the FCC until such time the commission takes a final action.
"With the recent D.C. Circuit appeals court ruling, the open Internet as we know it suffered a blow. By striking down rules that prevented broadband providers from discriminating against or even blocking online content, the Court's decision threatens the openness and freedom that has defined the success of the Internet. Although the Court struck down the FCC's 'no-blocking' and 'nondiscrimination' rules, it explicitly affirmed the agency's authority to oversee broadband services in the United States," said Rep. Eshoo a Ranking Member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee.
"This bill ensures that consumers, not their Internet service provider, are in the driver's seat when it comes to their online experience. The free and open Internet has been a pillar of our country's growing economy, unparalleled technological innovation, and even global social movements. It is the backbone of our digital world, and I intend to keep it that way," Eshoo added.
The ruling that struck down net neutrality, makes the Internet vulnerable to certain abuses such as pay walls implemented to block users from accessing certain content or websites.
"The Internet's vitality and openness drives competition, innovation and job creation and we need to ensure it remains a level playing field for consumers and innovators in the wake of the D.C. Circuit Court decision. This bill ensures consumers are protected until the FCC uses its clear authority, as recognized by the court, to put in place replacement rules. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this important legislation forward," said Sen. Markey in a statement.
The future of the bill in Congress is bleak since there are only 200 Democrats in the House against 232 Republicans. Meanwhile, the Democrats have a slight edge over the Republicans in the Senate with 53 and 45 members, respectively.
Commissioner Tom Wheeler of the FCC promised that all possible means will be exhausted to ensure that abuses will be prevented and that net neutrality will be restored.
