This Week on the Hill: Democrats Move to Reignite Net Neutrality Debate

Both chambers will reconvene for legislative business today prior to leaving for a two-week recess. In the House, Democratic leadership has teed up a bill (H.R. 1644) that would undo the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) repeal of the 2015 Open Internet Order. The bill — which cleared the Energy and Commerce Committee on a party-line vote following a contentious markup — is expected to pass the lower chamber but is considered dead on arrival in the GOP-controlled Senate.

Elsewhere on the House floor this week, lawmakers will consider the House Democrats' proposal to raise discretionary spending caps. The legislation provides for a $17 billion increase above FY 2019 budget caps for defense spending and a $34 billion bump above that level for non-defense. Consideration of the proposed budget caps deal comes in lieu of a budget resolution, which House Democrats have abandoned due to intraparty schisms over progressive priorities such as the Green New Deal and “Medicare for All.” 

For today, the House will consider a series of suspension bills out of the House Natural Resources and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees. This includes a bill (H.R. 1331) that would increase funding for nonpoint source management programs under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Lawmakers will also consider a measure (H.R. 2030) that would direct the Secretary of the Interior to execute and carry out agreements among states and tribes concerning Colorado River drought contingency management.

In the upper chamber, Senators are expected to focus primarily on clearing the queue of presidential nominations, starting with consideration of Daniel Desmond Domenico to be a District Judge for the District Court of Colorado. A full list of the nominations up for consideration this week can be accessed here.