Leading Democrats in Congress plan to introduce federal net neutrality legislation Wednesday, which would reinstate open internet protections repealed by the Federal Communications Commission in 2017.
The legislation would prevent internet providers from intentionally slowing or speeding up service for some websites over others. Those principles, known as net neutrality, were put in place by President Barack Obama and subsequently repealed by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Who’s behind the bill: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and other Democrats plan to introduce the legislation Wednesday morning. The announcement will be live-streamed here.
The odds: Though there is strong support for net neutrality protections among many Americans, the bill isn’t likely to become law. It would have to clear the Republican-held Senate and receive sign-off from Trump to reinstate net neutrality.
What to watch: Several states, including Washington and California, have passed their own net neutrality laws in the face of inaction at the federal level. It isn’t clear whether the bill introduced tomorrow will seek to preempt state laws or coexist with them.
