Jimm Phillips

Incoming House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said Friday he selected Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., as Communications Subcommittee chairman for the next Congress, as expected (see 2412170053). Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., will be the subcommittee’s vice chairman, Guthrie said. Hudson was a House Communications member during the last Congress but moved off in 2023. He is a Next-Generation 911 Caucus co-chair and last year championed allocating $14.8 billion in future FCC auction proceeds to pay for NG-911 tech upgrades (see 2305240069) as part of House Commerce’s Spectrum Auction Reauthorization Act (HR-3565). Hudson's “expertise will help propel our country into the next generation economy,” Guthrie said. Hudson “will close the digital divide for rural America, affirm U.S. leadership in next generation telecommunication networks, and protect our critical communications infrastructure from adversarial attacks.” Hudson said he plans to work with Guthrie, President-elect Donald Trump and other House Commerce members “to advance strong, commonsense policies that promote innovation, streamline federal regulations, and bridge the digital divide.” He will replace current Communications Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, who was term-limited from seeking the gavel again and will instead lead the Energy Subcommittee. Guthrie said House Innovation Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., will continue leading what will be renamed next Congress the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee. Several communications industry groups released brief statements congratulating Hudson on his selection as the Communications chairman. Hudson and Allen “understand the importance of ubiquitous connectivity, especially in service of rural, un-served and under-resourced communities; and the need for balanced spectrum and light touch regulatory policies which boost broad-based innovation while also being small-business friendly,” said Wireless ISP Association Vice President-Government Affairs Matt Mandel. USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter said the broadband industry is “excited to work with [Hudson], his team and his subcommittee to turbocharge the next phase of American connectivity, innovation and technology leadership.” NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield said the group “and its members, including those who live in and serve communities in Rep. Hudson’s district, look forward to working with him to ensure that rural Americans have access to high-quality, affordable and sustainable broadband networks.”

The House voted 366-34 Friday evening to pass a revised version of the American Relief Act (HR-10545), likely averting a government shutdown that was otherwise set to occur at midnight. The Senate was viewed as likely to pass the measure later Friday, and the White House said President Joe Biden would sign it. The House had voted 174-235 Thursday night against the previous HR-10515, which combined a stripped-down CR and two-year debt ceiling suspension (see 2412190070), receiving President-elect Donald Trump’s endorsement. HR. The approved measure jettisons the debt-ceiling suspension but preserves a farm bill extension through Sept. 30, 2025, and disaster relief funding. Trump had demanded immediate debt ceiling action, along with his criticism of congressional leaders’ initial, more expansive CR proposal earlier last week (see 2412170081).

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., confirmed to us Wednesday she has changed her mind and now wants Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to pick her as Communications Subcommittee chair when he takes over the panel in January. Fischer previously said she wasn’t interested in taking over as lead Communications Republican from current ranking member John Thune, R-S.D. (see 2402290057), who will become Senate majority leader in January. Fischer didn’t explain why she now wants to lead the subcommittee but indicated “we’re working it out” now with Cruz. “Obviously, I’m the senior” Republican on Senate Commerce after Cruz, Thune and Armed Services Committee ranking member Roger Wicker of Mississippi and therefore would traditionally get the Communications gavel because “I’ve asked to have it,” Fischer said. “That’s how it works.” Fischer is senior to Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., whose presence as a fill-in for Thune during a Senate Communications hearing last week provoked discussion conversation about whether he was in line for the subpanel gavel (see 2412170053). A Fischer elevation to Senate Communications chair could put her in conflict with Cruz on some spectrum legislative issues. Fischer, who's also a senior Armed Services member, opposes using a spectrum package to mandate an FCC sale of any portion of the DOD-controlled 3.1-3.45 GHz band (see 2403210063). Cruz favors a lower 3 GHz sale.

Backers of the revised AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-8449) signaled Wednesday they want to move swiftly on the proposal next year after congressional leaders didn't reach a deal to include it in a continuing resolution that extends federal appropriations through March 14. The CR released Tuesday night includes language from the NTIA Reauthorization Act (HR-4510) and several other telecom and tech bills. Meanwhile, the Senate voted 85-15 Wednesday to pass the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-5009) with language that would authorize the AWS-3 reauction to offset $3.08 billion in funding for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2412070001).

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., clarified that he hasn’t yet been selected as Senate Communications Subcommittee chairman for the next Congress despite filling in during a subpanel hearing last week (see 2412110067) for current ranking member John Thune, R-S.D. Current Communications Chairman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico is hopeful but not certain that he will remain the subpanel’s lead Democrat next year. Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, who will be House Commerce Committee chairman in the next Congress, said he’s adding 10 current and incoming Republican lawmakers to the panel.

The Senate voted 85-15 Wednesday to pass the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-5009) with language that would authorize the AWS-3 reauction to offset $3.08 billion in funding for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. The measure now goes to President Joe Biden, who's expected to sign it.

A continuing resolution to extend federal appropriations through March 14 released Tuesday night includes language from the NTIA Reauthorization Act (HR-4510), Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act (HR-8989/S-4569) and several other telecom bills. The CR meanwhile omits the revised AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-8449) despite its backers’ push to pass the measure before year’s end.

NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson said during a Thursday Broadband Breakfast event he intends to resign Jan. 20, declaring the day President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to office as the end of his leadership of the agency. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel plans on leaving the same day (see 2411210028). Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and some other event participants predicted potential changes in NTIA’s $42.5 billion BEAD program once Republicans have unified control of government upon Trump’s inauguration, but suggested it’s less clear how spectrum policymaking may change next year.

Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, during a Wednesday Communications Subcommittee hearing criticized FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s draft declaratory ruling last week finding that Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act Section (CALEA) Section 105 requires telecom carriers to secure their networks against cyberattacks (see 2412050044). Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to become chairman Jan. 20, told reporters Wednesday he believes the commission’s response to the Salt Typhoon Chinese government-affiliated effort at hacking U.S. telecom networks (see 2411190073) should focus on continuing to “closely” coordinate with other federal cyber-related agencies and identify vulnerabilities to the private sector.

Communications industry lobbyists told us they expect President-elect Donald Trump to soon follow his pair of Tuesday night FTC selections (see 2412100073) with a nominee for the FCC seat Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel plans to vacate Jan. 20. The lobbyists mentioned Arielle Roth, telecom policy director for Senate Commerce ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, as the apparent front-runner for the nomination, though the Trump team hasn’t yet made a final decision. Trump said Tuesday he’s picking Republican FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson as permanent chair of the commission and will nominate Mark Meador, a former antitrust staffer for Senate Antitrust Subcommittee ranking member Mike Lee, R-Utah., to the commission seat that Chair Lina Khan currently holds.