Politics shift ahead of FCC vote on net neutrality

Last November, when President Barack Obama proposed strict rules to prevent broadband companies from blocking or intentionally slowing down the Web, Republicans pounced on what they called yet another heavy-handed liberal proposal. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas pronounced the regulations “Obamacare for the Internet.”

However, what was initially a fight over big versus small government turned into Republicans aligning themselves with large Internet service providers, which have fallen out of favor with many Americans waiting for their Netflix video to quit buffering.

According to the New York Times, the net neutrality issue has shifted so that House and Senate Republicans are circulating bills that would give the president exactly what he wants: a ban on throttling Web traffic and creating paid fast lanes for Internet content providers willing to pay for faster delivery. However, Republicans still want government out of the process - the bills prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from issuing regulations to achieve the goals, what would essentially turn the Web into a public utility.

The FCC is expected to vote on net neutrality rules Feb. 26.

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