The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday night postponed a planned Thursday markup session on the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s FY 2026 funding bill, which would allocate $47 million to NTIA, including $1 million for facilities management and construction (see 2507140052). The panel still released its proposed report on its FY26 bill with language aimed at changing NTIA administration of the $42.5 billion BEAD program and other broadband initiatives.
The Senate confirmed Republican Arielle Roth as NTIA administrator Wednesday on a largely party-line 52-42 vote, as expected (see 2507160076). Senate Commerce Committee member John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat who joined Republicans in backing Roth, as he was when the panel advanced her in April (see 2504090037). The chamber invoked cloture on Roth last week 50-34 (see 2507170065). President Donald Trump nominated Roth, who was Senate Commerce Republicans’ telecom policy director, to the NTIA role in February (see 2502040056).
The House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee voted 9-6 along party lines Monday night to advance its FY 2026 budget bill, which proposes to maintain the FCC’s annual funding at $390.2 million (see 2507210064). The measure includes a set of riders that would bar the agency from using money to enforce certain policies that originated during the Biden administration and have been in Republicans’ crosshairs, including its 2024 digital discrimination order. House Appropriations previously included some of the riders in its FY 2025 funding bill, which didn’t get a floor vote (see 2406050067). House and Senate Republicans also bowed Congressional Review Act resolutions of disapproval last year that aimed to roll back the 2024 order (see 2403140070).
The Senate confirmed Republican Arielle Roth as NTIA administrator Wednesday on a largely party-line 52-42 vote, as expected. Senate Commerce Committee member John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat who joined Republicans in backing Roth, as he was when the panel advanced her in April. The chamber invoked cloture on Roth last week 50-34. President Donald Trump nominated Roth, who has been Senate Commerce Republicans’ telecom policy director, to the NTIA role in February.
The House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee’s FY 2026 budget bill, which the subpanel planned to mark up Monday evening, would maintain the FCC’s annual funding level and bar the agency from using money to enforce certain policies that originated during the Biden administration and have been in Republicans’ crosshairs.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., several Senate Democrats and the Writers Guild of America are questioning whether CBS’ Thursday announcement that it’s canceling The Late Show, hosted by Stephen Colbert, stemmed from Trump administration pressure related to the federal review of Skydance’s $8 billion purchase of network owner Paramount Global. That company recently reached a $16 million settlement in President Donald Trump's lawsuit over CBS’ editing of a 60 Minutes interview last October with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Some attorneys see that settlement as aimed at easing the path to FCC approval of Skydance's deal, but Paramount has denied those claims (see 2507020053).
President Donald Trump on Friday hailed the House’s passage (see 2507170045) just after midnight of a Senate-amended version of the 2025 Rescissions Act (HR-4), which includes a clawback of $1.1 billion in advance CPB funding for FY 2026 and FY 2027. As expected, the House voted for HR-4 216-213, with only two Republicans -- Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mike Turner of Ohio -- joining Democrats against the measure. Several Democratic leaders and other advocates predicted dire consequences for many local public broadcasters.
The Senate voted 50-34 Thursday to invoke cloture on NTIA administrator nominee Arielle Roth, setting the stage for her likely confirmation next week. The vote divided largely along party lines, with Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania the only Democrat to back Roth, as expected (see 2507160076). All Senate Commerce Democrats except Fetterman voted against advancing Roth in April amid frustrations about the Trump administration's plan for administering NTIA’s $42.5 billion BEAD program (see 2504090037). President Donald Trump nominated Roth in February (see 2502040056).
Congressional Democrats are calling attention to reports that Fox News in June 2024 aired an edited version of an interview with now-President Donald Trump, with some citing it as a reason for the FCC to end what they see as partisan probes of CBS and other media outlets. House Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., asked Fox Corp. Chairman Lachlan Murdoch and Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott Thursday to explain the organization’s decision to air only part of Trump's answer to a question about whether he would release files related to accused pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The House was all but certain to sign off Thursday night on a revised version of its 2025 Rescissions Act (HR-4) retaining a clawback of $1.1 billion in advance CPB funding for FY 2026 and FY 2027 that the Senate passed 51-48 early that morning, as expected (see 2507160077). Senate passage of HR-4 followed several more unsuccessful bids to strip out the CPB language or dramatically reduce the amount of funding the measure rescinded. The Senate turned back several other Democratic-led CPB amendments Wednesday.