Walden Selected to Chair House Commerce Committee
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., beat out at least two opponents in his quest to chair the House Commerce Committee next Congress. The current head of the Communications Subcommittee, though junior in seniority in the race to succeed outgoing full committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., won the nod from a group of GOP leaders over the more-senior Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill. (see 1611300054). The House leadership steering committee voted Thursday night, with industry officials telling us that Walden got the nod. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, also had been a contender like Shimkus. Walden later confirmed he was tapped.
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The three possible committee heads gathered Thursday in the Capitol Visitor Center to present bids in private 30-minute sessions each before the GOP Steering Committee, which has more than 30 members representing caucus leadership and different regions. Several committee members circulated in and out of the meeting room throughout the afternoon, punctuated by sporadic sounds of clapping and laughter from within the room. The Steering Committee recommendations are expected to be ratified before the House soon.
"I am deeply honored to earn the support of my colleagues to chair this incredibly important committee," Walden said in a statement Thursday night. "Americans are looking for big improvements out of Washington, and that’s just what we’re going to give them as we work with the Trump Administration, the Senate, and the governors, to move forward on the Better Way agenda." Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has been advancing that agenda, with some elements in telecom/communications.
The incoming Commerce Committee chairman will have the task of quickly choosing subcommittee chairs for the next Congress. He will also be able to tweak subcommittee jurisdiction if he chooses. The rosters for Commerce and its subcommittees for the next Congress aren't final.
CTIA and the wireless industry applaud the pick of Walden, the association said. "He has long championed the importance of spectrum, common sense regulation and broadband policies that promote investment and innovation. We look forward to working closely with Chairman-elect Walden, Representative Shimkus and Representative Barton next year on spectrum and infrastructure reform, and the opportunity to build a foundation for tens of billions in investment in 5G and the Internet of Things."
The race between Shimkus and Walden was always seen as close. Shimkus is senior but Walden has led the National Republican Congressional Committee for the past two cycles. Republicans generally have expressed pleasure with Walden’s job at maintaining GOP House seats and he has spent time on the road with Ryan, who lauded Walden for his job after the recent elections.
Upton hit his six-year term limit as chairman this year. Walden also reached his limit as chairman of the Communications Subcommittee and would be able to continue only if the subcommittee jurisdiction were changed.
FCC process overhaul dominated Walden’s concerns as Communications Subcommittee chief. He repeatedly hammered the agency for what he considers process failings. He often focuses on how commissioners handled the media ownership quadrennial review and bigger proceedings like net neutrality. Walden hasn't succeeded at advancing legislation to fundamentally change FCC process. He did successfully help lead the satellite TV reauthorization process last Congress and was a key lawmaker involved in the 2012 Spectrum Act, which helped set up FCC spectrum auctioning and the creation of FirstNet.
Shimkus also was active on telecom. His Commerce chairman campaigning noted his concerns to protect broadcaster joint sales agreements. He co-chairs the Congressional NextGen 911 Caucus.
Walden, Shimkus and Barton told us earlier this year that the Commerce Committee should make another attempt next Congress at overhauling the 1996 Telecom Act (see 1608080022). Barton told us this week the three contenders all seemed relatively unified in their concerns on the net neutrality order, which reclassifies broadband as a Communications Act Title II service, if less so on the agency’s USF (see 1611300054).