House votes to restore net neutrality as White House threatens Trump veto

Enlarge / Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), left, discusses a net neutrality bill as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) listens during a news conference in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, March 6, 2019. (credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg)

The US House of Representatives today voted to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules, approving a bill that would reverse the Trump-era FCC's repeal of rules that formerly prohibited blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization. The vote was 232-190, with 231 Democrats and one Republican supporting the bill, and 190 Republicans voting against it. Four Democrats and six Republicans did not vote.

The bill isn't likely to become law, though, as it could be either blocked by the Republican-controlled Senate or vetoed by President Trump. White House staff on Monday recommended that Trump veto the bill, claiming that the net neutrality repeal spurred new broadband deployment-even though Federal Communications Commission data doesn't actually support that conclusion.

The Democrats' "Save the Internet Act" doesn't even seem likely to reach Trump, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declared it "dead on arrival."

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