Chairman Thune: Network Neutrality budget riders unlikely

A network neutrality policy rider to limit the new regulations is unlikely to make it into a omnibus spending bill to fund the government, according to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD). When asked if the likelihood was slim, Chairman Thune said, "I would think so, just because it would be so controversial." Chairman Thune said, "We have a lot of our members that would love to do that. I would certainly number myself among those. But, you know, there will be I think in terms of the big bill, some policy riders."

Chairman Thune's comments come after House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) suggested a number of riders could make it into the funding bill that must pass by Dec 11. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) also said policy riders will be included. "I can think of a handful of them that have a higher likelihood of actually emerging from and surviving the process that our members care deeply about as well that would be ahead of that," Chairman Thune said of any net neutrality provisions. "But there is a lot of emotion, a lot of interest, a lot of intensity about that issue among our members."