According to sources, House Energy & Commerce
Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) Tuesday continued to work on lining up
a bipartisan consensus for a network neutrality bill that would give the
FCC sufficient authority to enforce open Internet principles to
satisfy key Democrats, while foreclosing the Title II reclassification proposal
that is a total nonstarter for industry.
The bill would clarify that the FCC has the
authority to expand and codify network openness principles, subject to reasonable
network management, but would not apply all of them to wireless broadband. The
FCC would also be authorized to enforce the principles on a
case-by-case basis.
ISPs are said to be supportive of the
language in the draft bill, but some open Internet advocates are likely to
oppose anything short of reclassification.
It was looking like a bill could be introduced
Wednesday, though that would provide scant time for any action before
a lame duck session as legislators are trying to exit by the end of this week
to campaign.
It is possible a bill could pass on unanimous
consent in the House, but that is likely as far as it could go before
the elections, and even that is a long shot.
A Commerce Committee spokesperson had not returned
a call for comment at press time.
