The latest battle between arch-enemies Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump could be the internet.
On Wednesday, Democratic legislators introduced a new bill in both the House and the Senate that would reinstate net neutrality. It’s called the “Save the Internet Act of 2019.” And, as articulated in the bill’s just three pages, it would overturn the Trump FCC’s rules that overturned the Obama-era FCC’s net neutrality protections. And, it would task the FCC with protecting net neutrality across the country.
Thanks to shifting tides of power in Congress, and the popularity of net neutrality amongst constituents of both parties, the bill could actually have a chance to pass through congress. But ultimately, Trump could be the one to pull the internet’s plug.
First, let’s talk about this bill’s chances in Congress. In May 2018, three Senate Republicans crossed the aisle to vote with Democrats to overturn the FCC’s ruling. After passing the Senate, that bill died in the House, where then speaker Paul Ryan refused to bring it to a vote.
Last year, after the Senate voted to #SaveTheNet, Paul Ryan ran out the clock on #NetNeutrality in the House. This time, it’s our House. Today, Democrats in both the Senate and House are announcing the Save The Internet Act, and we’re going to send it to Donald Trump’s desk.
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) March 6, 2019
But things are different now. The Democrats control the House of Representatives by a wide margin, so the bill should be able to pass there. But political demographics have changed in the Senate, too: the Republicans hold a stronger majority of 57-43, since Democrats lost two seats in the midterm elections.
The three Republican Senators who voted for the last net neutrality bill — Susan Collins of Maine, John N. Kennedy of Louisiana, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — are still in office. But there’s no guarantee that they’ll side with the Dems again. And, assuming all Senate democrats vote for the bill, they’ll have to pick up another Republican to pass it.
In Washington, the net neutrality issue often plays out along party lines, with Democrats seeking to codify net neutrality as the law of the land, so that ISPs can’t charge different rates to access websites at certain speeds. Republicans have largely sided with ISPs, giving them more freedom to charge whatever they want.
But amongst citizens, net neutrality is an issue that actually has a lot of popularity across party lines; according to a 2017 poll from the University of Maryland, 75 percent of Republicans, 89 percent of Democrats and 86 percent of independents were in favor of keeping the Obama-era net neutrality regulations in place. If Republican senators listen to their constituents, perhaps the bill could actually pass through Congress.
But that’s where the big, orange obstacle that is President Trump comes in.
Trump weighed in on net neutrality before, displaying a very limited grasp of what the concept actually means — but generally taking a stance against it.
In 2014, he tweeted that the Obama-era FCC rules that protected net neutrality would “target conservative media,” and equated it with an unrelated concept. At a rally in 2015, he said he would ask Bill Gates, re “the internet,” about “closing it up.”
Obama’s attack on the internet is another top down power grab. Net neutrality is the Fairness Doctrine. Will target conservative media.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2014
But his most definitive action came as president, when he appointed Ajit Pai, a known opponent of net neutrality, to the role of FCC chairman. In March 2017, Trump’s administration clarified its stance on net neutrality: then Press Secretary Sean Spicer (miss u bb) announced the administration’s ambition to overturn the Obama FCC’s net neutrality rules. He said that Trump had “pledged to reverse this overreach,” characterizing the Obama-era rules as unnecessarily bureaucratic regulation that “stifles American innovation, job creation and economic growth.” These are common arguments against net neutrality perpetuated by ISPs that have been shown to hold no water.
Trump has been no special friend to ISPs: a recent report divulged Trump’s blatant attempt to block AT&T from merging with Time Warner. But that was in retaliation for his anger at CNN, a Time Warner subsidiary — not because he necessarily cares about ISPs. What’s more likely guiding Trump is his good ol’ strategy of If Obama Was For It, I’m Against It. Opposing his enemies has always been more meaningful for Trump than the actual issues.
And unfortunately, net neutrality could become a casualty in this petty war, if Trump lets his dismal understanding of tech issues, and his general hatred for Obama and Nancy Pelosi, guide his veto pen. Let’s not let it.
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