Jimm Phillips

The Senate left on a two-week recess Thursday night without holding a vote Democratic leaders had considered to discharge FCC nominee Gigi Sohn from the Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction, as expected (see 2206230072). Senate Democratic leaders had eyed whether they could pursue the discharge vote because all 50 Democratic caucus members were available and a handful of Republicans were absent from the chamber (see 2206230066). Sohn’s confirmation process has been stalled since March, when the Commerce Committee tied 14-14 on advancing her to the full chamber, necessitating the discharge vote before the chamber can proceed on her confirmation. Her supporters have been eyeing ways to break the logjam (see 2206070046).

The House Appropriations Committee expects the FCC to "take further action to help eliminate the potential for future interagency spectrum disputes" beyond a coordination agreement between commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson (see 2202150001), the panel said in a report accompanying the Financial Services Subcommittee's FY 2023 bill. The underlying measure (see 2203280069), set for a Friday committee vote, would give the FCC $390 million, up 2.3% from what Congress appropriated in the FY 2022 omnibus appropriations package President Joe Biden signed in March (see 2203150076). The bill would give the FTC $490 million in FY23, up 30% from FY22. The markup begins at 9 a.m. in 1100 Longworth.

Supporters of FCC nominee Gigi Sohn were hopeful Thursday that Senate Democratic leaders might use Republican absences in the chamber as an opportunity to vote to discharge Sohn from Commerce Committee jurisdiction before the start of a two-week recess set to end July 11. Lawmakers we spoke with cast doubt on whether Sohn’s short-term confirmation prospects were improved due to continued uncertainty about the position of three undecided Democratic senators if leaders forced a vote. Sohn’s confirmation process has been stalled since March, when Senate Commerce tied 14-14 on advancing her to the full chamber (see 2203030070). Her supporters have been eyeing ways to break the logjam (see 2206070046).

Senate Democratic leaders have abandoned talk of seeking a vote this week to discharge FCC nominee Gigi Sohn from the Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction, panel Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told us Thursday night. Democratic leaders had earlier been eyeing whether they could pursue a discharge vote this week because all 50 Democratic caucus members were available and a handful of Republicans were absent from the chamber.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel now expects a final estimate of demands for money from the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program to repay U.S. carriers for removing from their networks equipment made by companies deemed a national security risk to be ready on or soon after July 15. The House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee, meanwhile, advanced by voice vote Thursday its FY 2023 bill with FCC and FTC funding mirroring what President Joe Biden is seeking for the agencies (see 2203280069). The Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee advanced by voice its FY23 bill Thursday with funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency well above what Biden sought.

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act includes language seeking “an assessment of the implications of” provisions in the NTIA Organization Act “on DOD's access to the electromagnetic spectrum and resources,” the committee said Thursday. Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen, meanwhile, is urging the aviation industry to “move with all due haste to protect the fleet against known vulnerabilities to 5G C-band interference” and install “radio frequency filters” on altimeters before the July 5 expiration of the AT&T-Verizon agreement to use exclusion zones on their commercial C-band operations (see 2201030063).

House Communications Subcommittee leaders said Wednesday they’re eyeing combining the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783) and revised versions of the Simplifying Management, Reallocation and Transfer of Spectrum Act (HR-5486) and Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) before a full Commerce Committee vote. The subpanel unanimously advanced HR-5486, HR-7624, HR-7783 and four other telecom bills Wednesday, as expected (see 2206140077).

The House Communications Subcommittee will mark up the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783), a significantly modified version of the Simplifying Management, Reallocation and Transfer of Spectrum Act (HR-5486) and five other telecom bills Wednesday, as expected (see 2206100001), the Commerce Committee said Monday. The markup includes a revised version of the Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) that proposes to use proceeds from the 3.1-3.45 GHz auction it authorizes to pay for next-generation 911 tech upgrades and additional money for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program to repay U.S. carriers for removing from their networks equipment made by companies deemed a national security risk.

Top members of the House and Senate Commerce committees are having varying levels of success in moving forward in the coming weeks on spectrum legislation. The House Communications Subcommittee plans to mark up a revised version of the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783) Wednesday along with other legislation, subpanel Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., said in an interview. Senate Commerce leaders, meanwhile, told us they're still grappling with how to move forward on the Improving Spectrum Coordination Act (S-1472) after an amendment fight prompted them to remove it from a markup last month (see 2205250063).

Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker of Mississippi and other panel Republicans criticized NTIA’s plans for rolling out its $48 billion share of broadband money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act during a Thursday hearing with agency Administrator Alan Davidson, as expected (see 2206020070). Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico and other panel Democrats delivered more positive, but not universally complimentary, reviews of NTIA’s work. There was significantly less focus on the agency’s government spectrum coordination role.