House Panel Quickly Approves Broadband Oversight Bill
The House Communications Subcommittee unanimously approved draft legislation to speed unused broadband funds back to the U.S. Treasury, in a voice vote Friday morning. The combined hearing and markup lasted only about 45 minutes. Democrats questioned the need for the bill by House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., but they didn’t oppose it. NTIA and RUS heads said the bill’s goals are consistent with existing policies at the agencies.
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The subcommittee reported a draft to the full committee. Walden told reporters afterward that the bill would be introduced soon, possibly later Friday. Walden said during the session that his bill is “modest but necessary legislation,” and a “house-keeping effort.” Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., called it a “waste of time” but agreed oversight is important. Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman likewise said he’s not sure why the subcommittee is voting on “duplicative legislation,” but he’s “not opposed to it."
"As stewards of the taxpayers’ money, I know we all want to prevent misspent funds and fraud,” Walden said. It’s important that the agencies can quickly determine problems and take action, and that Congress is quickly apprised of problems and actions, he said. Waxman warned that legislators must be careful not to inadvertently complicate the agencies’ ability to do oversight.
Two grantees cancelled awards, but NTIA’s oversight led to early termination of the projects, Administrator Larry Strickling said. Money for a terminated Indiana grant has already been returned to the Treasury, and NTIA will return funds from a cancelled Wisconsin grant after completion of accounting with the state, he said. NTIA has no major objections to the bill, but has some concern about the specific wording of a requirement to de-obligate and return funds to the Treasury, Strickling said. He said Commerce Department rules already require many of the same things as the bill, but agreed with Walden that guidelines are more easily changed than law.
RUS “shares the goals” of the legislation, said Administrator Jonathan Adelstein. While the agency has the same concerns as NTIA, the bill “is consistent with the standard process in place to recover and return funds awarded under all RUS programs, including the Broadband Initiatives Program,” he said. Adelstein said there could be a conflict if the Justice Department wanted to do a criminal investigation of an award. The bill requires congressional notification, but in a criminal investigation DoJ would prohibit NTIA and RUS from making information public. Walden and Eshoo said they would address that issue.
NTIA has enough funding to do adequate oversight, Strickling said. “We are in fine shape.” RUS asked for no additional funds to do oversight, but will need the full amount in President Barack Obama’s budget, Adelstein said.