The House Commerce Committee is content to let the FCC take a first run at the Universal Service Fund overhaul, a committee spokeswoman told us Friday. “We are waiting to see what the FCC decides to do before we make a decision on whether legislation is necessary,” the spokeswoman said. Congress’ tacit approval of the FCC’s reform schedule had been expected (CD Feb 8 p1) but Friday’s statement comes amidst a blitz by rural telcos trying to get the Hill to intervene in the USF proceedings (CD May 25 p8). On the Senate side, Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. has said D-block legislation is his “highest priority” (CD Feb 17 p4).
The White House is waiting for the FCC and most other independent agencies to submit plans on which of their existing rules should be streamlined, reduced, improved or eliminated, an Office of Management and Budget official said at a hearing Friday of the House Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. A January executive order by President Barack Obama required executive agencies to submit “lookback” plans, and encouraged independent agencies do the same. This fall, the Oversight Subcommittee will consider legislation forcing independent agencies to comply, said Chairman Cliff Stearns, R-Fla.
The House Appropriations Committee approved an agriculture bill for fiscal-year 2012 that includes a proposed cut of the RUS Broadband Loans program. The committee approved the bill by voice vote in a markup Tuesday evening. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., didn’t re-offer her amendment from the Agriculture Subcommittee markup (CD May 25 p4) that would have maintained some funding for the broadband program. Consideration of the bill by the full House will likely occur in mid-June, but the schedule is up to House leadership, a committee spokeswoman said.
The Senate Commerce Committee filed the bipartisan substitute amendment for the Senate spectrum bill by Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. The 119-page amendment will be used as the base bill when the committee marks up S-911, a Senate aide said. The committee scheduled a June 8 markup, but no agenda has been announced, the aide said. Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., said he supports the latest version of the bill. Committee Republicans met to discuss the bill Wednesday afternoon, a GOP aide said.
The House Communications Subcommittee moved a step closer to wireless legislation, holding Wednesday what’s likely their last hearing in a series on spectrum. Subcommittee Democrats and Republicans supported authorizing the FCC to conduct voluntary incentive auctions. Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., suggested additional incentives for broadcasters.
A bipartisan majority of House members support wireless tax legislation by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. The bill, which would ban for five year states from taxing wireless goods and services, secured its 218th cosponsor on Thursday. A similar bill in the Senate by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has seven cosponsors not counting John Ensign, R-Nev., who has since resigned. Markup of the bill by the full House Judiciary Committee is expected soon, a House aide said.
The government may continue using roving wiretaps and other Patriot Act powers that were to expire at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Late Thursday, President Barack Obama signed into law an extension until June 1, 2015, of the government spying powers. The law made no changes to surveillance, but Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced legislation Thursday based on his failed amendment to add privacy protections. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and privacy groups said they were disappointed the renewal had no new protections for U.S. citizens.
There is “absolutely no redeeming reason” to allow AT&T to buy T-Mobile USA, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, D-Mich., said at a hearing Thursday of the Internet Subcommittee: “Not even one.” AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, testifying at the hearing, also played defense to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who had strong concerns about how the deal would affect pricing of backhaul owned by AT&T and Verizon. Stephenson said the deal would create jobs and motivate AT&T to build out to rural areas.
In a setback for public safety communications legislation moving through Congress, key Republicans on the House Commerce Committee balked at proposals to reallocate the 700 MHz D-block to public safety. Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., appeared skeptical at a hearing Wednesday of the House Communications Subcommittee about the approach supported by President Barack Obama, the Senate Commerce Committee and the House and Senate Homeland Security committees. House Commerce Democrats supported the reallocation bill (S-911) by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.
The FCC should protect GPS from possible interference by the LightSquared network, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told us by written statement Tuesday. Shaheen signed a letter with 32 other senators asking the FCC to rescind the International Bureau’s waiver to LightSquared that allows the company to offer terrestrial-only service through retailers (CD May 24 p17). “GPS is a critical technology relied upon by millions of Americans; businesses in the aviation, agriculture, and construction industries; and the U.S. Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Transportation,” Shaheen said. “Interfering with its frequencies carries significant risks both for our economy and our public safety.” The FCC should “work with LightSquared and those parties concerned to resolve the issue fairly,” she said.