Lujan Blasts Spectrum Proposal in House-Passed Reconciliation Package
Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., on Thursday night criticized spectrum language included in the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR-1). The House cleared HR-1 Thursday 215-214 with provisions that would restore the FCC’s lapsed spectrum auction authority through Sept. 30, 2034, and mandate that the federal government reallocate at least 600 MHz of airwaves for commercial licensed use (see 2505220064). “There is strong bipartisan concern about handing over this spectrum,” Lujan said. “Yet House Republicans are moving ahead at President [Donald] Trump’s directive, prioritizing billionaires over the urgent need to invest in broadband access.”
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Lujan said House Republicans are “bypassing the committee process, ignoring bipartisan concerns, and doing nothing to connect more Americans to affordable, reliable internet.” His office noted that he led an unsuccessful bid last year to attach language to the FAA reauthorization law that would allocate $6 billion to the FCC’s now-lapsed affordable connectivity program for FY 2024 and $3.08 billion to fully fund the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2405080047). The proposal would have offset that money by authorizing an FCC reauction of 197 returned AWS-3 licenses. Lawmakers ultimately agreed to fully fund rip-and-replace and authorize the AWS-3 reauction via the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (see 2412240036).