Walden: This, Too, Shall Not Pass

In advance of the floor debate on the Save the Internet Act, House Republicans blasted what they said was an effort "take over the internet with heavy-handed regulation."

That came in a press conference Tuesday (April 9), at which Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), ranking member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee reminded his audience that Republicans have offered up bills that prevent blocking, throttling and paid prioritization.

But as to the Democrat-backed act that uses Title II common carrier authority to restore not only those rules, but a general conduct standard that gets at other conduct not covered by the rules, he said flatly: "This bill will not get to the President’s desk and signed."

It will have to pass the House first, then the Senate, the latter considered a tall order at best.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.