Chairman Walden: Let’s Do a Network Neutrality Bill

House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman (and potential full Commerce Committee Chairman) Greg Walden (R-OR) is still on board with enshrining network neutrality principles into law. Back during the dustup over the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet order, Chairman Walden, along with Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), had pushed a bill to mandate no blocking and no throttling of web traffic — without reclassifying broadband providers as common carriers. But it went nowhere.

“There were things we could find common ground on, and should have been able to,” Chairman Walden said. “Blocking, throttling, the abusive things people were concerned about, we should put in statute. I’d be fine with that.” Many Democrats at the time refused to come to the table on legislation, since they had the votes to pass the network neutrality rules at the FCC. But with the Trump win and Republicans set to take over agency — and likely intent on reversing the Open Internet order — Democrats may be more willing to play ball on the Hill.