Schatz Places Hold on Redl's NTIA Nomination, Seeks Information on Cruz Deal
Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said he placed a hold to block a full Senate vote on David Redl’s confirmation to be NTIA administrator. That confirmed what industry officials and lobbyists told us earlier Monday. It also dashed for now Senate Republican leaders' hopes to hotline Redl’s nomination, which would have set up a confirmation vote under unanimous consent rules in the near future, a telecom lobbyist noted. Schatz said in the interview that he placed the hold so he and other Senate Democrats can get information about the deal that Redl and President Donald Trump’s administration reached earlier this month to get Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to lift his own earlier hold on the nominee (see 1710230026 and 1710230062).
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Schatz “wants visibility into” the full details of “what was in this deal, what the policy ramifications are” of any promises Redl and the Trump administration made to Cruz, a Democratic communications sector lobbyist said. Cruz raised concerns about Redl’s position on the 2016 Internet Assigned Numbers Authority oversight transition and vowed to place a hold in early October when the Senate Commerce Committee advanced him (see 1706280027, 1708020052, 1708160034 and 1710040063). Schatz and other Senate Democrats strongly supported the oversight handover under then-President Barack Obama. Cruz hasn’t said what assurances Redl and the administration agreed to. Lobbyists said Cruz sought additional oversight of NTIA activities.
Schatz and other Democrats believe “it’s bad precedent” for Redl to “promise an individual senator that you’re going to do something for them to lift a hold," a telecom lobbyist said: “They think that’s suspicious” and out of step with Senate practice. Representatives for Schatz and Redl were attempting at our deadline to set up a meeting to “have a conversation” about Democrats’ concerns, the lobbyist said. Spokesmen for NTIA, Senate Commerce Republicans and committee Democrats didn’t comment. A spokesman for Cruz referenced the senator’s earlier statement that his “concerns have been resolved” after conversations with Redl and Trump administration officials.
It’s unclear the degree to which Schatz’s hold is a threat to Redl’s confirmation chances, lobbyists said. “I am not sure Schatz can stop this on his own,” one Republican lobbyist said: The hold “may impact” the timing of final Senate confirmation and could prevent Redl from moving under unanimous consent, “but can't imagine it stops” the process. A Democratic lobbyist said the hold effectively blocks Redl’s path forward until Schatz and other Democrats get answers. The lawmakers may choose to let Redl “go through” based on that information or they “may raise additional concerns,” the lobbyist said.