An Oklahoma congresswoman voted to help pass a bill that would restore net neutrality laws repealed in 2017, according to a press release.
Rep. Kendra Horn, D-Okla., of the 5th congressional district voted in favor of the Save the Internet Act, the release said. The bill passed the house with a 232-190 bipartisan vote.
In the release, Horn said her vote was motivated by helping communities in rural Oklahoma have equal access to broadband internet, to help them grow their local economies.
“Across rural Oklahoma, communities of every size have little to no access to quality broadband internet. This is hurting their economic competitiveness and making it difficult to grow and thrive,” Horn said in the release. “We need to start taking action to expand broadband infrastructure that prioritizes rural America. These communities have been left behind for too long.”
Under current legislation that went into effect in June 2018, internet service providers can block or throttle their traffic, or use paid prioritization, limiting the best access to consumers who pay more.
The passage of the 2017 law resulted in over 20 states launching a class-action lawsuit against the FCC and with California passing its own state level laws challenging the federal law.
The Save the Internet Act would restore previous federal net neutrality laws providing equal access to these services.
Many in Washington believe the bill will not be successful in the Republican-controlled senate, with Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, telling reporters the bill will be “dead on arrival.”
