Leaders of the House and Senate Commerce committees who are spearheading the bipartisan congressional working group on a USF legislative revamp, which relaunched in June (see 2506120091), told us they plan to begin meeting again this month. But they said they feel less pressure to quickly reach an agreement on legislative recommendations since the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Consumers’ Research v. FCC, which found that USF’s funding mechanism is constitutional (see 2506270054). Sens. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., and John Thune, R-S.D., formed the working group in 2023 as Communications Subcommittee chairman and ranking member, respectively (see 2305110066).
House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., told us Wednesday that he expects the Commerce Committee to mark up his AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-979) in July, before Congress begins its month-plus August recess. HR-979 and Senate companion S-315 would require the Department of Transportation to mandate AM radio technology's inclusion in future automobiles, mostly affecting electric vehicles. The Senate Commerce Committee advanced a revised version of S-315 in February with the addition of a 10-year sunset for the measure, which led Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., to drop his previous opposition to its passage (see 2502100072). Bilirakis cautioned that House Commerce leaders haven't given him an ironclad commitment they will bring up HR-979 this month but added that he has gotten “very positive feedback” it will happen.
House action on the Senate-cleared version of the HR-1 budget reconciliation package, previously known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, appeared in doubt Wednesday afternoon amid resistance from several GOP lawmakers. Critics of Senate Commerce Committee Republicans’ HR-1 spectrum language held out hope amid the ruckus that lawmakers would make additional bands ineligible for potential reallocation. The Senate narrowly passed its HR-1 language Tuesday (see 2507010070).
The Senate narrowly passed an amended version Tuesday of the HR-1 budget reconciliation package, formerly named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with a proposal for an 800 MHz spectrum auction pipeline but without a controversial Commerce Committee proposal for a voluntary freeze on enforcing state-level AI rules. The chamber voted 99-1 to strip out that language after a deal between Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. (see 2506300072), collapsed Monday night.
The Senate was still slogging through a vote-a-rama Monday afternoon of mostly Democratic amendments -- including a proposal for an 800 MHz spectrum auction pipeline (see 2506060029) -- to the chamber’s revised reconciliation package, which will supersede the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR-1). Senate Republicans appeared closer to retaining a modified proposal for a voluntary freeze on enforcing state-level AI rules after Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz of Texas struck a deal with Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, a leading GOP critic of the plan, to shorten the pause’s timeline. Meanwhile, Senate Commerce ranking member Maria Cantwell of Washington and other Democrats continued insisting the AI proposal threatened states’ eligibility for funding from the $42.5 billion BEAD program.
Senate GOP aides said Friday afternoon that chamber leaders aimed to hold an initial vote Saturday on a motion to proceed to the chamber’s combined budget reconciliation package, which includes the Commerce Committee’s revised proposal for an 800 MHz spectrum pipeline and restoration of the FCC’s lapsed auction authority through Sept. 30, 2034 (see 2506060029). Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, secured backing last week for the spectrum proposal from a pair of Armed Services Republicans after he strengthened the original proposal’s carve-outs excluding the 3.1-3.45 GHz and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands from potential FCC auction or other reallocation (see 2506250054).
Near the end of a hearing Wednesday night, Senate Appropriations Committee members Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, echoed some Republicans’ concerns about President Donald Trump’s proposal for Congress to rescind $1.1 billion of CPB’s advance funding for FY 2026 and FY 2027 (see 2506030065). Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., earlier in the hearing joined several panel Democrats in voicing misgivings with White House OMB Director Russell Vought about clawing back the CPB money (see 2506250058).
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, appeared highly skeptical during a Wednesday hearing about President Donald Trump’s proposal that Congress rescind $1.1 billion of CPB’s advance funding for FY 2026 and FY 2027 (see 2506030065). Panel member Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., also voiced concerns about parts of the CPB rescission plan but told White House OMB Director Russell Vought he wants to find a compromise. The House passed its 2025 Rescissions Act (HR-4) earlier this month with the CPB funding clawback intact, despite some Republicans’ misgivings (see 2506130025). Rounds is among a handful of Senate Republicans who have raised questions about defunding CPB (see 2506050063).
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, locked down support Wednesday from a pair of top Armed Services Committee Republicans for the panel’s spectrum budget reconciliation package language after strengthening the original proposal’s exclusion of the 3.1-3.45 GHz and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands from potential FCC auction or other reallocation (see 2506060029). Cruz’s office also reemphasized his view that the revised proposal’s language to encourage states to pause enforcement of AI laws no longer threatens jurisdictions’ eligibility for the enacted $42.5 billion in BEAD funding (see 2506230043) in the face of Democratic assertions to the contrary.
Republican Olivia Trusty took office Monday as an FCC commissioner, as expected (see 2506200052). Cooley’s Robert McDowell, a former Republican commissioner, confirmed Trusty’s swearing-in on X. “Great to be at the [FCC] to see Olivia Trusty be sworn in as America’s newest Commissioner,” McDowell said. Republicans now have a majority at the agency, a shift that some see as portending quick action on items that Chairman Brendan Carr couldn’t advance with a tie. The Senate confirmed Trusty last week to two consecutive terms (see 2506180076). The FCC didn’t immediately comment.