All 49 senators who caucus with the Democrats have signed on to a measure to undo the Republican-led gutting of Obama-era net neutrality rules, a clear signal that they have more than internet policy in mind as they move to force a vote.
They’re looking forward to wielding the issue in the fall elections.
Sen. Ed Markey’s resolution to has attracted the entire caucus as sponsors, the Massachusetts Democrat said in a news release Tuesday. The effort also has support from Maine Republican Susan Collins, leaving it one shy of the number needed to pass, but with plenty more than the 30-vote threshold needed to compel Senate action.
“When we force a vote on this bill, Republicans in Congress will — for the first time — have the opportunity to right the administration’s wrong and show the American people whose side they’re on,” New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, said in a tweet.
The measure can pass the Senate with a simple majority. Then it would need to pass the House, where rules give Republican leadership tighter control and passage seems unlikely. In addition, Trump could veto it.
