FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel are slated to testify at an April 3 House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee hearing on the agency's FY 2020 budget request, the Appropriations Committee said Wednesday. President Donald Trump's administration proposed more than $335.6 million for the FCC and its Office of Inspector General, with $11 million allocated to OIG (see 1903180063). The hearing begins at 1:30 p.m. in 2362-A Rayburn. It will be Pai's first appearance at a House hearing since Democrats regained the majority in the chamber in January. House Democrats flagged more-critical FCC oversight as likely under their majority (see 1811140055). The House Communications Subcommittee “absolutely” wants to fulfill its promise for more regular FCC oversight hearings, but “it's just a matter of getting it in the queue” given Commerce Committee other priorities, subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., told reporters Wednesday. Doyle wants get House passage of his Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644) “out of the way” before he moves on to FCC oversight and other priorities. A House Commerce markup of the measure is expected next week, and House floor consideration the week of April 8 (see 1903180068 and 1903260064). “That's taken precedent” over FCC oversight and the 35-day partial government shutdown that ended in January (see 1901160031) is also continuing to “put us behind where we want to be,” Doyle said.
The House Communications Subcommittee advanced the Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644) Tuesday on a party-line 18-11 vote, clearing the way for a likely full House Commerce Committee vote on the bill next week. HR-1644 and Senate companion S-682, filed earlier this month, would add a new title to the Communications Act that says the FCC order rescinding its 2015 rules "shall have no force or effect." The bill retroactively would restore reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 1903060077).
The Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644) remains likely to clear a Tuesday House Communications Subcommittee markup but by a potentially narrow margin, lobbyists told us. All sides of the net neutrality policy debate say the more dramatic aspect they will monitor is whether enough House Communications Democrats end up supporting an expected set of GOP-sponsored amendments aimed at altering the bill’s intent. The markup is to begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
The U.S. should make concerns about China less of a central factor in developing 5G deployment plans, said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., during an appearance on C-SPAN's The Communicators online and set to have been televised over the weekend. House Commerce Committee ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., meanwhile, continued during a separate interview also set to be shown then to push lawmakers to consider whether edge providers should be considered common carriers given their importance as online gatekeepers (see 1903080032). The lawmakers differed on whether the Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644/S-682) will get significant bipartisan support.
Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., said Monday night he's “ready to roll” and vote to advance the Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644) out of the House Communications Subcommittee, increasing the bill's chances of clearing the subcommittee's Tuesday markup. Butterfield is among four House Communications Democrats who aren't listed as co-sponsors of HR-1644 and was viewed as the most skeptical of the bill during a legislative hearing earlier this month. The other three subcommittee Democrats who haven’t co-sponsored HR-1644 are: Tony Cardenas of California, Tom O'Halleran of Arizona and Kurt Schrader of Oregon.
The Senate Commerce Committee abandoned March 27 as the potential date for its expected media marketplace hearing (see 1903080061), lobbyists told us Tuesday. IT'S eyeing potential dates in late April for the hearing, seen as a likely precursor to the committee's debate on reauthorizing the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act, lobbyists said. The committee couldn't “overcome” witnesses' “scheduling challenges” on March 27, one official said. The witnesses would all be expected to focus on STELA-oriented issues. The 2014 STELA recertification extended the statute through 2019 (see 1411200036). Some lawmakers are beginning to dig into the debate over recertification (see 1903150045). Senate Commerce didn't comment.
Some factors point toward Congress enacting a narrowly tailored reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act this year, but many unknowns remain, industry representatives said Monday during an FCBA event. The 2014 STELA recertification extended the statute through 2019 (see 1411200036). Some lawmakers are beginning to dig into the debate over recertification before a likely March 27 Senate Commerce Committee media market hearing (see 1903150045).
President Donald Trump’s administration again proposes to cut funding to CPB in its FY 2020 budget proposal as part of its “plan to move the Nation towards fiscal responsibility and to redefine the proper role of the Federal Government.” Trump signed off in October on a FY 2019 federal spending law that maintained CPB’s annual funding at $445 million through FY 2021, despite having proposed in that year’s budget request to draw down the program’s funding (see 1809280043). The budget increased proposed money for the FCC and NTIA from what the administration proposed in its FY 2019 request. The FCC’s figure is down from its funding level under the spending bill passed in February (see 1902150055).
There's still a good chance some House Republicans will support the Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644), said House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., on an episode of C-SPAN's The Communicators that was set to have been televised over the weekend. HR-1644 and Senate companion S-682, filed earlier this month, would add a new title to the Communications Act that would overturn the FCC order rescinding its 2015 rules, retroactively restoring reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 1903060077). House Communications Republicans railed against the bill during a legislative hearing last week, leading some lobbyists to predict a party-line vote on the measure at markup later this month (see 1903120078).
The push to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act is gaining support on Capitol Hill, including among top members of the Commerce committees. Interest in the policy debate is particularly strong on Senate Commerce, with communications policy-focused members telling us they agree with committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., that it's a must-pass bill (see 1902270018). Members of the House and Senate Judiciary committees, which also have jurisdiction over STELA recertification, also showed interest in interviews.