Broadband Rate-Blocking Bill on Senate Calendar

In a procedural move that bypasses committee consideration, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has put a broadband rate reg-blocking bill directly on to the Senate calendar for a potential floor vote. The House recently voted along party lines (Republicans for, Democrats against) to approve the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act (HR 2666), sponsored by Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), which would prevent the FCC from regulating the monthly rates of broadband service or potentially after-the-fact via its enforcement authority.

The Majority Leader McConnell move came on the floor April 21. It does not guarantee a vote anytime soon, though it could be brought up for a vote at Majority Leader McConnell's discretion. And even if it is approved, almost certainly on close to a straight party line given the partisan division over the bill, President Barack Obama has pledged to veto it. Democratic lawmakers say it would gut the Open Internet order and the FCC's authority over consumer protections that implicate rates.