Jimm Phillips

House Communications Subcommittee members were universally positive about the Future Uses of Technology Upholding Reliable and Enhancing Networks Act (HR-1513) and four other communications network security bills during a Thursday hearing. House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and other lawmakers used the hearing to continue the drumbeat for Congress to allocate an additional $3.08 billion to close a funding shortfall for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, as expected (see 2402140055). Several Democrats touted the stopgap funding push for the FCC’s affordable connectivity program (see 2402130074) as another priority for securing U.S. networks.

Witnesses set to testify during a House Communications Subcommittee hearing Thursday (see 2402090072) want lawmakers to consider longer-term initiatives for curbing China’s risk to U.S. communications networks. The push for Congress to allocate an additional $3.08 billion for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2401240001) will likely receive attention during the hearing, as it has in other recent panels, lobbyists said. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.

Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act (HR-6929) GOP co-sponsor Rep. Marc Molinaro of New York acknowledged Tuesday that Republican opponents of stopgap funding for ACP are an impediment, but one the bill’s backers can overcome. HR-6929 and Senate companion S-3565 would allocate $7 billion for ACP, keeping it alive through FY 2024 (see 2401100056). The FCC froze ACP enrollments last week in keeping with procedures for winding down the program absent more federal funding.

NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson and FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez used speaking slots at the State of the Net conference Monday to press Congress to allocate additional money for the commission’s affordable connectivity program. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, also at the conference, urged that the commission investigate Apple’s purported blocking of cross-platform messaging service Beeper Mini “to see if it complies” with the agency’s Part 14 accessibility rules under the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act.

House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said Thursday she won’t seek reelection. “After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided the time has come to serve … in new ways,” she said. “We will spend this year honoring the Committee’s rich history -- plowing the hard ground necessary to legislate on solutions to make people’s lives better and ensure America wins the future,” Rodgers said. She became the lead House Commerce Republican in 2021 after previous panel GOP head Greg Walden of Oregon retired (see 2012020070). Rodgers has had a lead role in many major communications and tech policy debates since succeeding Walden, including as lead sponsor of the House Commerce-cleared Spectrum Auction Reauthorization Act (HR-3565), the panel’s privacy legislative talks and scrutiny of the FCC’s affordable connectivity program (see 2312150068). House Commerce ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said he's “sad to hear” Rodgers is retiring, but “I’m glad we have about a year left to get some important priorities across the finish line together.” Getting “things done around here is hard work, but Cathy and I have been able to get important legislation” to “move the ball forward on establishing a comprehensive national data privacy standard,” Pallone said. “Her departure will be an incredible loss for Congress, which I know she cares about deeply.” House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, praised Rodgers’ “guidance and steady, principled leadership": “It would be an understatement to say her work within [House Commerce] has had a profound and positive impact on people and communities across the country." Rodgers’ departure means the House Commerce lead Republican seat for the next Congress is open. Some telecom lobbyists quickly tipped Latta as a likely contender, along with Congressional Spectrum Caucus co-Chair Brett Guthrie of Kentucky. Latta competed against Rodgers and Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas for the House Commerce GOP leadership in 2020 (see 2011180028). Burgess is among 11 other House Commerce members retiring at the end of this Congress. The others: Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D.; Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del.; Larry Bucshon, R-Ind.; Tony Cardenas, D-Calif.; John Curtis, R-Utah; Jeff Duncan, R-S.C.; Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.; Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz.; Greg Pence, R-Ind.; and John Sarbanes, D-Md. Ex-Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, was a House Commerce member when he resigned last month to become Youngstown State University president (see 2401020056).

Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act (HR-889/S-341) lead Senate sponsor Mark Warner, D-Va., is considering attaching the measure’s language to the House-approved Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (HR-7024) ahead of the upper chamber’s consideration of the package. Lobbyists question whether there’s sufficient momentum for swift action on HR-889/S-341 despite communications industry interest. Meanwhile, a potential bid to allocate $3.08 billion from an FCC reauction of 197 returned AWS-3 licenses to fully fund the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2401240001) is unlikely to become part of the 2024 National Security Act supplemental appropriations package but could be a factor in talks for other must-pass legislation this year.

President Joe Biden’s nominee for U.S. coordinator of international communications and information policy, drew a favorable response from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats during a truncated Thursday confirmation hearing. Steve Lang emphasized the need for U.S. “solidarity with like-minded partners around the world” on communications and cybersecurity issues “to better face the existential challenge from” China and other “countries that don't share our democratic values.” Lang is currently deputy assistant secretary of state-international information and communications policy.

Republican FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington “will seek reconfirmation” to a second term “and has been in touch with” the office of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., “about the process,” a Simington spokesperson told us Tuesday. Simington joined the FCC in December 2020 after a swift but partisan Senate confirmation as Democrats objected to Republicans fast-tracking his approval after Joe Biden beat Donald Trump (see 2012080067). Simington’s term technically expires June 30, but he can remain on the commission until Jan. 3, 2026, absent Senate confirmation of another nominee.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel confirmed to congressional leaders Thursday that the Wireline Bureau will move forward with freezing new affordable connectivity program enrollments Feb. 8 amid the continued push to provide the program stopgap funding to keep it running once its original $14.2 billion allocation runs out in April (see 2401250075). Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., is beginning to cite a recent FCC Office of Inspector General report on its audit of ACP’s 2022 performance (see 2401300090) as vindicating Republicans’ misgivings about the program, which some lobbyists believe may complicate those funding efforts.

DirecTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun, Scripps Sports President Brian Lawlor and Public Knowledge Legal Director John Bergmayer are staking out dueling positions on whether Congress should revisit retransmission consent legislation. In written testimony ahead of a Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing, all three echo Puck News Sports Correspondent John Ourand in suggesting that the sports media marketplace remains in a state of flux but take a range of positions on whether that will make legislating more difficult in the short term. The hearing begins at 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn.