Lobbyists Say Senators Have Reached Deal on Spectrum Reconciliation; Wicker Optimistic
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and member Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said in interviews Wednesday night they were close to a deal with Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on spectrum language for the Cruz-led panel's imminent budget reconciliation proposal that will exclude certain bands from possible sale. Cruz in recent weeks had signaled he wanted to pursue a spectrum reconciliation title without band exclusions if possible (see 2505130059).
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Lobbyists told us that the three senators had essentially reached a deal on exclusions but said there wasn’t final text circulating yet. The deal was likely to have an exclusion for the 3.1-3.45 GHz band, similar to one in the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act reconciliation package (HR-1). The lobbyists also expected that Rounds and Communications Subcommittee Chair Deb Fischer, R-Neb., were partially successful in inserting exclusions for parts of the 7 GHz and 8 GHz bands (see 2505220064). Senate Commerce planned to release its reconciliation text Thursday.
Wicker said after a Wednesday afternoon meeting with Cruz and Rounds that the approaching deal would balance reallocating spectrum for commercial use with wanting “to be diligent in protecting national security.” Rounds said he was confident there had been progress on exclusions during the meeting but cautioned that “we don't have it in writing yet.” Fischer was also optimistic but cagier about how much progress was made Wednesday. “We haven’t put pen to paper yet,” but "I’ve been very clear” about what bands a spectrum package needs to exclude to protect military and national security interests, she told reporters.