Democratic leaders on the House and Senate Commerce committees aren’t fully discounting the possibility the panels could devote some time to evaluating the newly filed Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act during the remaining months of this Congress, but some acknowledge any serious consideration of the measure will likely have to wait until 2023 at the earliest. Democratic leaders bristled at some Republicans’ view that lawmakers unveiled the measure as a reaction to FCC nominee Gigi Sohn’s stalled Senate confirmation process (see 2206230066).
Senate backers of the Chips and Science Act package of U.S. semiconductor incentives and tech competitiveness initiatives and House leaders voiced strong optimism Wednesday that the measure will make it through Congress before the lower chamber recesses Friday for the six-week August break.
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and other House Commerce Committee members urged the chamber Tuesday to pass the Spectrum Innovation Act legislative package (HR-7624) by a lopsided bipartisan margin ahead of floor votes as soon as that evening on several telecom and tech measures. The House planned floor votes on HR-7624 and two other telecom and tech bills on the docket: the Reporting Attacks from Nations Selected for Oversight and Monitoring Web Attacks and Ransomware from Enemies Act (HR-4551) and Safe Connections Act (HR-7132). The chamber was also expected to consider the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (HR-4990). The Rules Committee, meanwhile, began considering Tuesday afternoon a set of proposed amendments to the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act (HR-4040) amid Republicans’ concerns that the measure didn’t first get House Commerce clearance.
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and other lawmakers emphasized the importance of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's role in implementing pending “Chips+” U.S. semiconductor manufacturing incentives and a U.S. competitiveness package, during a Wednesday confirmation hearing for OSTP director nominee Arati Prabhakar. The substitute measure that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., filed Tuesday as an amendment to shell bill HR-4346, would supplant conference committee negotiations to marry elements of the dueling America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength Act (HR-4521) and U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S-1260).
Congress’ clash on spectrum legislation is expected to escalate just before lawmakers leave for the long August recess with a continued lack of bicameral consensus. House Commerce Committee leaders are eyeing potential floor consideration the week of July 25 of the Spectrum Innovation Act legislative package (HR-7624) the panel advanced Wednesday (see 2207130066). Senate Commerce Committee leaders haven’t signed on in support of HR-7624’s approach and are likely to hold a hearing the week of Aug. 1 on renewing the FCC’s spectrum auction authority and other matters the measure addresses. HR-7624 authorizes an FCC auction of up to 200 MHz on the 3.1-3.45 GHz band.
The FCC’s final estimate of additional funding it will need to fully satisfy demand for money from the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program is $3.08 billion, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Friday in letters to leaders of the House and Senate Commerce committees and other top lawmakers. That’s $320 million less than the shortfall the FCC estimated last month before full completion of its review of amended applications to the program, which are to repay U.S. carriers for removing from their networks equipment made by companies deemed a national security risk (see 2206160073). Congress originally appropriated $1.9 billion for the rip and replace program in the FY 2021 appropriations and COVID-19 aid omnibus law (see 2203140061).
The House voted Wednesday and Thursday to approve a slate of telecom and tech-focused amendments to the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-7900), including proposals to require more DOD transparency on its implementation of its 2020 spectrum sharing strategy and modifications to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s remit (see 2207070064). House lawmakers, meanwhile, refrained from filing any FCC-related amendments to the FY23 omnibus appropriations package that includes funding for that agency (HR-8294) but proposed several aimed at restraining the FTC. The chamber is likely to take up HR-8294 and floor votes on amendments next week.
The House Commerce Committee unanimously advanced the Spectrum Innovation Act legislative package (HR-7624) and three other telecom bills Wednesday, as expected (see 2207120079). The House was expected to begin votes Wednesday night on amendments to the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-7900). The House Rules Committee agreed 9-4 Tuesday to allow floor votes on more than three dozen telecom and tech amendments to HR-7900 (see 2207070064).
House Communications Subcommittee leaders intend to combine language from the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783) and Simplifying Management, Reallocation and Transfer of Spectrum Act (HR-5486) with the Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) at a Wednesday Commerce Committee markup, as expected (see 2205190068). House Commerce is planning to mark up the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (HR-8152) next week, a Democratic committee spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. The House Consumer Protection Subcommittee unanimously advanced the bill in June (see 2206230064).
Lawmakers are proposing a range of telecom and tech-focused amendments to the House Armed Services Committee’s FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-7900). They include proposals to require more DOD transparency on its implementation of its 2020 spectrum sharing strategy, bar TikTok use on government devices, and several focusing on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The House Rules Committee Thursday afternoon hadn't set a meeting to consider the amendments.