GOP fault lines form in Web fight

Some House Republicans are refusing to fully endorse a compromise on net neutrality floated earlier this year by their party’s committee chairmen.  

While not ruling out future support for the draft bill, many in the party are pushing a hard-line approach to undo the Federal Communications Commission’s newly approved rules straight away.

{mosads}“Now, I still am one of those that says, as far as I’m concerned, we should just take a hands off policy,” Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said. “The Internet does not need the intervention of the FCC, so lets nail that down first, and then let’s decide if it needs any other assistance or oversight or rules put in place by Congress.”

Any congressional action on net neutrality faces long odds of ever being enacted. The proposals to block the FCC rules without a replacement would almost certainly run into a presidential veto. A less partisan push hinges on finding Democratic support, but further compromise could alienate other Republicans.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and chairman of the subcommittee on technology, Greg Walden (R-Ore.), are still trying to convince Democrats to support their draft legislation to enact a number of net neutrality principles while also scaling back the FCC’s ability to reclassify the Internet, among other authorities.

Their proposed compromise, offered in January, has so far proven fruitless with Democrats. Republicans like Blackburn are happy with the outreach but are holding back support for the actual proposal.

“I am going to allow them to continue to work and reserve judgment for later on,” Blackburn said. “I fully support the efforts that they are making. And I think that Chairman Upton and Chairman Walden have had an open door policy, not only to me but to the Democrats on the committee.”

Blackburn is pushing an alternate proposal to cut off the full power and effect of the new FCC rules to reclassify broadband Internet as a telecommunications service in order to enforce strong rules. She introduced a similar measure in 2011, when the FCC approved previous net neutrality rules.

Thirty-one Republicans have signed on, including many on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but not Upton or Walden. A spokesman said they are supporting a “bipartisan” solution. 

“Committee leaders are at the negotiating table offering a bipartisan path forward, and if Democrats join us and we can develop a consensus policy, we’re confident Republicans will be there to support an approach that finally ends the uncertainty and questionable FCC legal maneuvering that has plagued this issue for too long,” committee spokesman Andy Duberstein said in a statement. 

A separate group of Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, including Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), are pressing their colleagues to block the rules using the Congressional Review Act, which empowers Congress to vote to cancel new federal regulations through a resolution of disapproval. 

Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, prefers that route and has promised to introduce the resolution once the actual FCC rules are released.

“If others want to take the legislative route, I would be supportive of looking at it,” he said. “I’m not saying — I haven’t seen their final legislation on what the compromise position would be. I’m not saying it is something I could completely support. However, there are always multiple tracks of getting at something.”

A few other members of the Judiciary Committee have said they are not familiar enough with the Upton-Walden proposal to make a judgment.

Rep. Anna Eshoo (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the technology subcommittee, said she would only support a legislative fix if it meets the FCC’s protections and does not roll back the FCC’s broadband authority. Her office said the other efforts to scrap the rules would be taking a “step backward.”

Republicans have downplayed the tactical divide, with Blackburn describing it as “a good, healthy discussion.” Others have noted the proposals are on separate tracks, and it could be a two-step process.

Both Blackburn and Collins disputed the idea that their plans were largely symbolic, given the threat of a veto from President Obama.

“I’ve never been afraid to work the legislative process. If that means the president vetoes it, then so be it. It’s about time he did his job. He’s been shielded from doing his job for many years,” Collins said. 

Blackburn called her proposal a “serious piece of legislation” that gives Democrats “options.”

“Quite frankly, I like my way of doing it to block them and then return that power to Congress,” she said. “You are going to have other people who are going to have other opinions but as I said, the good thing is people are in agreement that the FCC should not have gone here.”