Week ahead in tech: Senate Republicans push net neutrality bill

A group of Senate Republicans is pushing a bill to eliminate the controversial Obama-era net neutrality rules, but their effort faces tough odds.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has unveiled legislation that would scrap the Federal Communications Commission rules that require internet service providers to treat all web traffic equally.

Lee’s effort has a number of prominent GOP co-sponsors, including Sen. John Cornyn, the upper chamber’s No. 2 Republican, and Sens. Tom Cotton (Ark.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Ben Sasse (Neb.), and James Inhofe (Okla.).

The group is trying to rally support for the bill, including with a Friday op-ed in the Washington Post.

“We reject the idea that the federal government should control the Internet,” Cruz, Johnson, and Lee wrote.

{mosads}But they face a number of challenges. The bill from Lee is unlikely to win over any Democrats, to help it get past the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.

Democrats, who want to preserve as much of net neutrality as possible, were dismissive of Lee’s effort.

Sens. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said they hadn’t even read it. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said he didn’t know what the purpose of the bill is.

And a key Republican isn’t on board.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the chairman of the Commerce Committee, has been the lead on net neutrality issues and been working on his own legislation to address net neutrality.

Thune also, according to Democrats, has said he won’t act without bipartisan support.

The Senate discussions on net neutrality also come as the Republican chairman of the Federal Communications Commission moves ahead with his own plan to roll back the rules.

Chairman Ajit Pai is preparing for a vote two weeks from now on his proposal at the FCC’s May open meeting. The commissioners will vote on whether to begin the process of repealing net neutrality by opening the public comment period.

Pai’s plan would scrap the “Title II” measure that subjects broadband providers to tougher regulations from the FCC. Instead, Pai would let the Federal Trade Commission regulate internet service providers.

Those companies would also be asked to voluntarily enshrine net neutrality principles, which they could include in their terms of service with customers.

Democrats and consumer and privacy advocacy groups who want to keep the rules in place, say they will mobilize the public to back the rules.

When the FCC first began considering net neutrality in 2014, the agency received millions of comments, a record, most in favor of the rules.

Lee, Cruz and Johnson in their op-ed Friday said their legislation is a “complement” to Pai’s efforts.

GOP lawmakers worry that even if Pai rolls back net neutrality, that could be undone by a future Democratic FCC commissioner, and they want a legislative fix.

The tech world will also be keeping an eye on the French presidential elections on Sunday.

Both candidates, Marie Le Pen from the right-wing National Front, and neoliberal Emmanuel Macron, have championed policies that tech interests won’t find favorable.

Le Pen has called for cracking down on immigration to France and for a referendum on leaving the European Union.

Macron, the heavy front-runner, has already taken aim at major U.S. tech companies over encryption. He’s said he will make them “accept a legal framework for requisitions of encrypted services in the context of counter-terrorism efforts.”

He also wants to renegotiate the Privacy Shield, a data collection sharing agreement between the U.S. and Europe.

On Capitol Hill, hearings next week will be sparse, with the House in recess.

On the Senate side, the Homeland Security and Governmental affairs committee will hold a hearing on cyber threats facing the U.S. on Tuesday morning.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on law enforcement access to data stored across borders. Among those testifying are Brad Smith, chief legal officer for Microsoft.

Just off the the Hill at the Newseum on Wednesday, Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) will speak at the National Venture Capitalist Association annual meeting.

Flake is expected to share details on legislation to create start-up visas to attract business talent from overseas. Schatz will speak more generally on legislation relevant to startups and venture capital.

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