Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Thune: net neutrality is not an election issue

 Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-SD) says the average American is not likely to be swayed in the 2018 midterms by Senate Democrats forcing a vote on reinstating the net neutrality rules. “I think they see it as a really hot political issue [that] gets their base kind of energized. But most people, if their Netflix works, I’m not sure what the argument is,” he said, suggesting there’s “not a great sense of urgency” spurring people “to go out and vote because of net neutrality.” And forget much bipartisan negotiation on open internet legislation until Democrats’ Congressional Review Act vote is in the rearview mirror, Chairman Thune added. Lawmakers “need to get the CRA issue probably behind us before Democrats are going to be sufficiently motivated to get a legislative solution,” he predicted, citing conversations with Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and “others” on legislating. More than 40 Senate Democrats back a CRA vote now, including Sens Nelson and Schatz, but “it’s not going to be enacted” even if passes the Senate, Chairman Thune said, doubting it could even do that: “So the Democrats at some point, I think, ought to come to the realization that the best way to get certainty on this issue and a path forward with clear rules is through legislation.”