What impact will the new Congress have on technology policy? Probably not much, according to Beltway prognosticators. With a Republican majority in the House and Democratic majority in the Senate, little in the realm of technology is expected to be done on Capitol Hill.

There are plenty of hot-button technology issues teed up for legislative debate, including net neutrality and patent reform, notes Rob Pegoraro at The Washington Post. And while most of these are likely to face gridlock in the legislature, they may see movement in other venues, including the regulatory agencies and courts. 

Net neutrality faced a tough climb even before Tuesday's election. Now that many of the lawmakers who supported net neutrality legislation lost their reelection bids, the issue is almost certain to die on Capitol Hill. The Federal Communications Commission may try to establish net neutrality policy on its own by reclassifying broadband services as partially regulated telecommunications services, but that would be sure to spur legal challenges, notes David Goldman at CNNMoney.

Online privacy may be one area in which lawmakers find room for agreement, according to Cecilia Kang at The Washington Post.  Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, who is expected to chair the Energy and Commerce Committee, voiced his intent to make privacy a priority just following the election. 

"I want the Internet economy to prosper, but it can't unless the people's right to privacy means more than a right to hear excuses after the damage is done," Barton said in a news release. "In the next Congress, the Energy and Commerce Committee and our subcommittees are going to put Internet privacy policies in the crosshairs."

For more:
- see Rob Pegoraro's post at The Washington Post
- see David Goldman's article at CNNMoney
- see Cecilia Kang's post at The Washington Post

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