House Republican Study Committee Chairman: Carr Will Address Group Wednesday
House Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger of Texas confirmed to us Tuesday that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr will speak at the group’s Wednesday lunch meeting. Lobbyists noted reports that Carr would brief RSC about the commission’s investigation of Audacy’s KCBS San Francisco concerning the station’s broadcasting locations and identifying details of vehicles involved in an undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in January (see 2502050051).
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Pfluger wouldn’t confirm whether Carr would discuss the Audacy probe but said he hopes the FCC chairman will update RSC members on “what his priorities are" and “all the things he's been doing here in the last couple of weeks” since he took the gavel Jan. 20. Congressional Democrats have sharply criticized Carr’s decision to order a string of investigations against U.S. broadcasters (see 2502130060). The probes thus far focus on broadcasters that have run content critical of President Donald Trump or otherwise face claims of pro-Democratic Party bias. Carr has, in some cases, said the scrutiny is focused on other matters (see 2502110063).
House Commerce Committee Democrats proposed an amendment to the panel’s proposed oversight plan for the 119th Congress that would expand its scrutiny of the FCC to include investigating “any instances in which the Commission or its officers, employees, or agents engages in or facilitates censorship or otherwise interferes with" the freedoms of speech and press. "This includes any instance in which the Commission, or any officer, employee, or agent thereof, attempts to directly or indirectly influence, suppress, or change the content or expressive conduct of any private entity in a way prohibited by the U.S. Constitution and any related statute.”