A coalition of House Democrats has begun a process to force a vote to restore protections of net neutrality. The petition for approval, presented by Representative Mike Doyle (D-PA), allows the House to force a vote if half of the representatives register, giving activists until the end of the session in January to collect the necessary signatures. They currently have 90, all of the Democrats.
The resolution would revoke the recent Internet request of the FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, under the Congressional Review Act, effectively restoring the 2015 rules against paid prioritization and strangulation. The resolution was approved by the Senate earlier this week, but faces major difficulties in the House of Representatives: to win the necessary votes, more than 20 Republican representatives will have to break with their party and support the revocation. Even if the resolution passes through Congress, it will require the signature of President Trump to enter into force, which is a difficult obstacle given its historical opposition to the 2015 rules.
Still, activists believe that the widespread popularity of Net neutrality including the president to change sides on the issue. Even if they do not, many see the vote as an opportunity to force members of Congress to take sides before a mid-term warming.
"There is nowhere to hide, and there are no excuses," Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) said after the vote in the Senate. "You are on a free and open internet or it is not"