Cruz Holds Off Endorsing House Commerce Spectrum Reconciliation Proposal
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Monday night called House Commerce Committee Republicans’ budget reconciliation proposal “encouraging” but stopped short of backing the measure. House Commerce’s proposal, which the panel will mark up Tuesday, would restore the FCC’s lapsed auction authority through the end of FY 2034 and tee up 600 MHz of bandwidth for sale within six years of enactment.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
Cruz said in a statement that he was pleased to see House Commerce “step up and prioritize a spectrum pipeline of at least [600 MHz, which is] an issue I’ve been pressing on for months. Their proposal reflects the momentum we’ve been building to establish a strong, forward-looking spectrum pipeline -- one that is essential to preserving and advancing U.S. leadership in the global communications industry.” While that proposal’s “text is subject to change as it moves through the House, this moment presents a critical opportunity to lay the groundwork for future auctions and sustained innovation,” Cruz said.
A communications sector lobbyist said Cruz’s statement indicates that he still wants to pursue a spectrum pipeline closer to the 2,500 MHz that he called for NTIA to identify in the 2024 Spectrum Pipeline Act, which he has repeatedly touted this year as his preferred basis for an airwaves title.