House votes to reinstate net neutrality rules

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday in favor of a Democrat-backed bill aimed at reinstating Obama-era net neutrality rules, though the legislation is unlikely to make it through the Senate.

The Save the Internet Act passed by a vote of 232-190, according to Gizmodo. Only one Republican, identified by The Hill as Rep. Bill Posey of Florida, voted in favor of the legislation.

The bill would reinstate federal regulations that barred internet service providers from blocking or throttling their customers' access to websites, The Washington Post reported.

The legislation appeared unlikely to turn into law. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters Tuesday that the bill was "dead on arrival in the Senate," The Hill reported, and White House aides have recommended Trump veto the legislation if it makes it to his desk.

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 in December 2017 to repeal net neutrality rules enacted under the Obama administration, which restricted internet service providers from blocking or collecting tolls from services they don’t like and barred them from imposing their own rules. Ajit Pai, chairman of the FCC, led the push to repeal the regulations, framing them as heavy-handed and unnecessary government intrusions.

Currently, the FCC only requires internet service providers be transparent about how they manage their networks, according to the Post.

The Senate voted 52-47 in favor of reversing the FCC's repeal in May 2018, after senators forced a vote on the issue, Ars Technica reported. However, the resolution was unable to pass in the then-Republican-controlled House.

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