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US net neutrality bill gets closer to becoming law, but don’t get your hopes up
August 10, 2025
The U.S. House of Representatives passed theSave the Internet Act(H.R. 1644) on a vote of 232-190, according toThe Hill. Unfortunately for net neutrality advocates, the proposed legislation now faces significant roadblocks.
The Save the Internet Act is the latest attempt by House Democrats to bring back Obama-era rules on net neutrality. Only four pages long, the bill reverses the Federal Communications Commission’snet neutrality repeal from 2017and turns net neutrality rules into law. Codifying the rules into law would make it difficult for future FCC chairs to undo the rules.
Originally enacted during President Barack Obama’s time in office, net neutrality prevents ISPs from offering paid fast lanes and throttling traffic from and to certain websites. The rules classified the internet as a public utility until the FCC voted 3-2 along party lines to repeal them in December 2017.
“Chairman Ajit Pai, when he repealed the open internet order, basically just abdicated the FCC’s authority to regulate the ISPs.”
A dark future, a hopeful future
Unfortunately for Doyle and proponents of the Save the Internet Act, the bill faces two significant hurdles — the U.S. Senate and President Donald Trump. Yesterday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) toldReutersthat the Save the Internet Act is “dead on arrival in the Senate.”
Republicans currently hold a majority in the Senate. That means bill supporters would need at least four GOP senators to vote yes on the Save the Internet Act in order for it to land at Trump’s desk.
Even if it passes the Senate, it sounds like Trump will oppose the bill. In a statementreleased on Twitter, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget said the Save the Internet Act “would instead return to the heavy-handed regulatory approach of the previous administration.”
According to the statement, Trump’s advisers will recommend that the president veto the bill.
Even with such significant roadblocks, there’s still a silver lining. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-MS) toldVoxthat he plans to block the Save the Internet Act. Wicker also said that he’s open to bringing a bipartisan net neutrality bill possibly later this year.
“It would be nice to have a bipartisan compromise that makes it clear the internet needs to be open, free from blocking, but also open to innovation and letting small businesses come in as they’ve done in the past and have an opportunity to become successful.”
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