By a 20-13 vote Thursday that partially followed party lines, the House Judiciary
Committee approved a bill that would require broadband providers to abide by
strict Net neutrality principles, meaning that their networks must be
operated in a "nondiscriminatory" manner. All 14 Democrats on the committee (joined by six Republicans) supported the measure, while 13 Republicans opposed it.
That vote is a surprise victory for Internet companies such as
Amazon.com, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo that had lobbied fiercely in
the last few months for stricter laws to ensure that Verizon, AT&T and
other broadband providers could not create a "fast lane" reserved for
video or other high-priority content of their choice.
In an unusual twist, many members of the committee said they were
voting for the legislation not because of strong concerns over Net
neutrality--but instead because of a turf battle. They said they were
worried that a competing proposal already approved by a different committee last month would diminish their own
influence in the future.
That other bill, called the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and
Enhancement, or COPE, Act, says the Federal Communications Commission "shall have
exclusive authority" to investigate violations of Net neutrality
principles. It's backed by Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican who heads
the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and does not include strict Net
neutrality mandates.
Because the FCC is overseen by Barton's committee, that proposal would
effectively cut off Judiciary Committee members from being able to hold
hearings on Net neutrality antitrust violations, give speeches about
corporate malfeasance and solicit campaign cash from affected companies--the lifeblood of modern Washington politics.
News source: CNET
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