The Senate Commerce Committee was eyeing a March 13 confirmation hearing for NTIA nominee Arielle Roth and potentially also FCC nominee Olivia Trusty, but that panel wasn’t final as of Thursday afternoon, several communications sector officials and lobbyists told us. President Donald Trump nominated Roth, Senate Commerce Republicans’ telecom policy director, in early February (see 2502040056). Trump picked Trusty, a Senate Armed Services Committee Republican staffer, for the FCC seat that former Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel vacated Jan. 20 (see 2501160077).

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota and other GOP leaders are optimistic, but not yet certain, that they have the votes on their side of the aisle to pass a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval (S.J.Res. 7) to undo the FCC's July 2024 order allowing schools and libraries to use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services. Chamber Democrats are vowing to fight S.J.Res. 7 if leaders bring up the measure for a vote, which lobbyists said could happen as soon as next week. Supporters and opponents of the E-rate expansion are eyeing a handful of Republicans they believe are reluctant to rescind the FCC’s order.

Aerospace Industries Association promotes Steve Jordan Tomaszewski to vice president-space systems; names Amber McIntyre, formerly National Space Policy Council, as senior director-civil space, replacing Jordan Tomaszewski … BGR names Peter Lewis, formerly DISH, as vice president-commerce and infrastructure ... Montana Public Service Commission names Alana Lake, ex-Department of Energy, executive director, replacing David Sanders … Convergence Strategies taps Jennie Chandra, formerly Conduent, as partner.

Permitting reform has bipartisan support, which bodes well for substantial action soon, speakers said Wednesday at ACA Connects' annual Washington summit. Yet while there's support, "nobody can quite figure out what [reform] looks like,” said Senate Commerce member John Curtis, R-Utah. Besides broadband, other sectors, such as energy, also have permitting woes, he added. Speakers said they believe BEAD, with some rules changes, will move forward. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the agency is launching a review of BEAD rules and dropping its fiber focus (see 2503050067).

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday he’s launching a “rigorous review” of NTIA's $42.5 billion BEAD program and will be “ripping out … pointless requirements” that the Biden administration included in the initiative’s original notice of funding opportunity, which Republicans repeatedly criticized last year. House Communications Subcommittee members divided sharply along party lines during a Wednesday hearing over Republicans’ push to revamp BEAD, including the newly filed Streamlining Program Efficiency and Expanding Deployment (Speed) for BEAD Act from subpanel Chairman Richard Hudson of North Carolina and other GOP lawmakers.

ACA Connects CEO Grant Spellmeyer and two other communications industry executives set to appear at a House Communications Subcommittee hearing Wednesday urge lawmakers in written testimony to revamp the NTIA-administered, $42.5 billion BEAD program. Some also say they want quick congressional action on a potential U.S. Supreme Court overturn of USF’s funding mechanism. Sarah Morris, acting deputy NTIA administrator during the Biden administration, is also set to testify. Her written statement wasn’t available Tuesday afternoon. The panel will begin at 2 p.m. in 2123 Rayburn.

FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington wants his colleagues to speak only English during FCC proceedings in the wake of a White House executive order declaring it as the U.S.’s official language, he said in a post on X Monday. The post seemed aimed at fellow FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who sometimes reads a Spanish version of her meeting statements. During last week’s FCC open meeting, Simington -- who was born and raised in Canada -- read out one of his statements in Romanian, seeming to mock Gomez.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told the Mobile World Congress on Monday that he will push to simplify the regulatory regime that carriers face in the U.S. The FCC also must make enough spectrum available for 5G so that “billions and billions of dollars” are invested in networks, he said. “We need more certainty both in America and Europe."

TV broadcast executives during Q4 earnings calls last week were bullish on merger and acquisition opportunities under the new White House and FCC leadership, but several also mentioned “softness” in some advertising categories, possibly connected to tariffs. Concern with tariffs is “putting a natural chilling effect upon advertising in the automobile sector” but should eventually “settle out,” said Gray Media co-CEO Hilton Howell.

A group of more than 50 unions, public interest and consumer groups released a statement last week opposing White House control of independent agencies like the FCC. Meanwhile, major telecom and media trade associations and companies have been mostly quiet concerning the Donald Trump administration's actions to assert control of independent agencies and its dismissal of Democrats serving on federal commissions.