Partisan tensions flared Wednesday during a markup of the House Communications Subcommittee, which advanced seven pieces of FCC process overhaul legislation. The subcommittee uncontroversially signed off on three Democratic proposals. A partisan fight broke out over three GOP proposals and the details of the bipartisan FCC Process Reform Act. It provoked what House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., said was a “breakdown” regarding a disagreement with ranking member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., approves of Democratic FCC transparency revamp measures, he said during a brief subcommittee hearing Friday. But Democrats complained of Democratic measures not taken up. They pointed to the Keeping Our Campaigns Honest Act (HR-2125), which would press for a greater FCC role in disclosure of political spending on the airwaves.
The House Communications Subcommittee promises to mark up FCC process revamp bills next week. The committee tweeted Monday that it will hold a markup next week “on Republican & Democratic bills to improve @FCC process & #transparency,” not naming a date. The subcommittee had a hearing on such draft legislation at the end of April and plans a second this Friday at 9:15 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn, considering a version of the FCC Process Reform Act and Democratic drafts from Reps. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y.; Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa; and Doris Matsui, D-Calif.
Net neutrality recurred as a topic through three interviews with lawmakers during the latest episode of C-SPAN’s The Communicators, set for telecast over the weekend. “I just think this will be very, very hard to overturn and turn this back, but we have to be vigilant, there’s no question about that,” Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., said of GOP legislation that may roll back parts of the FCC’s net neutrality order. Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., praised the FCC’s order and recalled a field hearing she held last year with two FCC commissioners on the topic. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., argued the opposite, saying “we also should be acting in the Congress” to counteract the order. “Our position there is also very strong -- that you can protect the openness of the Internet a better way by having competition protected by antitrust laws,” Goodlatte said. “That’s the historic way we’ve done it in our country.” The various avenues include a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval, which Goodlatte already backs, and the appropriations process, he said. Goodlatte also considered potentially tweaking antitrust laws if businesses required that for assurances. Matsui, a co-chair of the Congressional Spectrum Caucus, lauded the revenue from the recent AWS-3 spectrum, saying broadcasters, formerly “very, very lukewarm” about participating in the broadcast TV spectrum incentive auction, now see it more as “an opportunity.” She spoke of the importance of relationships developing between Congress and federal agencies to free up spectrum, saying the Pentagon is “the toughest nut to crack” on the spectrum front. She emphasized her commitment to the bipartisan Federal Spectrum Incentive Act she sponsors. “I believe we’ll work with some of the incentives there,” Matsui said, referring to the percentage of revenue that federal agencies could recoup from giving up spectrum to auction -- currently at 1 percent. “A lot of the federal government agencies are really looking at this too.” Franken spoke of his great pleasure now that Comcast isn't pursuing Time Warner Cable. He's "skeptical" of AT&T's proposed buy of DirecTV but didn't say whether he opposes it.
“Technology has huge potential to both improve patient care and reduce health care costs,” Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., said in a written statement after a House Commerce Health Subcommittee meeting Thursday. The ultimate goal is to advance quality telehealth services within the Medicare program, while recognizing that telehealth can save the system money, Matsui said. The ability for healthcare providers to communicate electronically is critical, she said. “Interoperability of health IT systems will facilitate population health research and improve patient care.” The 21st Century Cures initiative takes advantage of innovation, which leads to breakthrough cures and getting technology to patients faster, Matsui said.
House Communications Subcommittee Democrats fired back at the transparency push from subcommittee Republicans by pushing four draft measures of their own Thursday, amid an effort to overhaul the Communications Act. Committee Republicans have said the initiative will be in smaller measures rather than in one comprehensive piece of overhaul legislation (see 1504290037).
A recently revived piece of spectrum reallocation legislation still hasn't resolved a core debate over whether its provisions go far enough. The bipartisan, bicameral Federal Spectrum Incentive Act (S-887/HR-1641) spurred much discussion and praise this Congress and last but has yet to move. Past administration officials familiar with federal government agencies have cast doubt on whether it provides enough incentive for federal agencies to give up spectrum, but despite open debate about the incentive figure, many stakeholders said in interviews they see good chances for movement and believe that it could evolve as the legislation advances.
The spectrum bill from House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., got support from five committee Democrats, Pallone said in a news release Tuesday. Pallone introduced the Small Business Access to Spectrum Act (HR-1506) last month, initially with no co-sponsors. New backers are Reps. G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina; Yvette Clarke of New York; Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico; Doris Matsui of California; and Bobby Rush of Illinois. Clarke is the only one of the four not formally listed as a co-sponsor yet. Spectrum’s finite nature compels the FCC to “update its spectrum auction rules to ensure a competitive bidding process and that small businesses are able to compete for spectrum,” said Matsui, co-chairwoman of the Congressional Spectrum Caucus, in a statement. Butterfield heads the Congressional Black Caucus and said the bill “reminds us of the importance of the DE [designated entity] program and the timely reform of its rules” and underscored the importance of making sure “small businesses, and those owned by women and minorities have the chance to secure ownership opportunities in the burgeoning wireless marketplace.” Butterfield wants to “preserve and strengthen this program ahead of the spectrum incentive auction,” he said.
CEA hails House and Senate introductions of the Federal Spectrum Incentive Act because it offers new incentives for federal agencies to relinquish underused spectrum for commercial mobile broadband services, President Gary Shapiro said Thursday in a statement. The bipartisan legislation is "an important step forward in helping the American consumer” by giving agencies “appropriate incentives” to “quickly vacate or share spectrum, ensuring that consumers have access to the most robust mobile broadband networks,” Shapiro said. The House version (HR-1641) was introduced by Reps. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., while the Senate counterpart (S-887) was introduced by Sens. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Edward Markey, D-Mass. The bills let federal agencies share a portion of the proceeds generated by an auction of relinquished spectrum, the sponsors said (see 1503260029) Thursday in a joint news release.
House Communications Subcommittee lawmakers pressed FCC officials on details of the broadcast TV incentive auction, focusing on whether stations will participate and whether the commission’s funding for the efforts will be enough. The officials said the agency is ready to tackle the issues with the resources at hand.