US bill to restore net neutrality rules passes House vote, more hurdles await

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The celebration could be short lived.

A bill to reverse the reversal of net neutrality rules was approved in the US House of Representatives by a 232-190 vote, though it will likely be shot down in the Senate. If not there, it would still face a likely veto by President Trump.

The concept of net neutrality has become a partisan issue, which makes the fate of net neutrality rules dependent on whether Democrats or Republicans hold majority control. In the House, Democrats occupy more seats, hence why the bill was able to pass a vote—only one Republican broke from party lines to vote in favor of the bill, according to Politico.

It's a different story in the GOP-controlled Senate, though. According to The Washington Post, Republican leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) told reporters yesterday that the bill is "dead on arrival." Republicans hold a 53-45 advantage in the Senate, with the two remaining seats occupied by Independents. A simple majority is required to pass (or shoot down) a bill in both the House and Senate.

The bill, called the "Save the Internet Act," aims to reinstate net neutrality rules as they were implemented under the previous administration, when Tom Wheeler sat as the FCC's chairman. The general concept is that all internet traffic should be treated equally. It includes rules to prevent internet service providers from blocking or throttling legal traffic, or charging companies like Netflix for unfettered access to "fast lanes," a concept known as paid prioritization.

Net neutrality is a topic we have covered extensively in the past, including what it means for PC gaming. We also wrote about what you need to know about net neutrality in 2019.

In short, it's an important issue, and one that is not going to go away. It will also be a talking point in the next presidential election.

"I think the president, as he heads into 2020, when he sees a groundswell, a juggernaut coming at him, I think he’s going to change," Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said prior to the House vote.

Paul Lilly
Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).