House Commerce Committee leaders are cautioning that the Communications Subcommittee’s planned Thursday spectrum policy hearing isn’t necessarily an indication that the panel will seek early action on an airwaves legislative package. Some lawmakers and lobbyists instead said the hearing is aimed at educating the subpanel’s crop of new members on the complicated dynamics at play in the spectrum legislative debate. New House Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie of Kentucky and other Republicans are eyeing using an upcoming budget reconciliation package to move on spectrum legislation (see 2501070069).
NCTA CEO Michael Powell and CTIA Executive Vice President Brad Gillen are among those set to testify Thursday during a House Communications Subcommittee hearing on spectrum legislative issues, the Commerce Committee said Tuesday. House Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie of Kentucky and other Republicans are eyeing using an upcoming budget reconciliation package to move on spectrum legislation (see 2501070069). Other witnesses on House Communications’ hearing docket: Public Knowledge CEO Chris Lewis and the Trump administration's former acting NTIA Administrator Diane Rinaldo, now Open RAN Policy Coalition executive director. The panel will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok, citing Congress’ “well-supported national security concerns.”
Incoming President Donald Trump said Friday he has tapped former Special Assistant to the President-Technology, Telecommunications and Cybersecurity Policy Robin Colwell as National Economic Council deputy director. Meanwhile, additional communications industry entities hailed Thursday night and Friday Trump’s choice of Senate Armed Services Committee Republican staffer Olivia Trusty as his intended nominee for the FCC seat that then-Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel planned to vacate Monday (see 2501160077).
President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to nominate Senate Armed Services Committee Republican staffer Olivia Trusty to the FCC seat that current Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel will vacate Jan. 20. Multiple former FCC officials and communications sector lobbyists told us they expected Trump would also announce as soon as Thursday that Senate Commerce Committee Republican Telecom Policy Director Arielle Roth is his pick for NTIA administrator. A range of ex-FCC officials and other observers previously named Trusty and Roth as top contenders for the Rosenworcel seat, although some believed Roth’s ties to Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, made her a slight front-runner (see 2412110046).
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said Wednesday he's retaining the chairmen of subcommittees with jurisdiction over the FCC, FTC, NTIA and other Commerce Department agencies, the DOJ Antitrust Division and CPB. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, will continue leading the Financial Services Subcommittee. Former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., will remain ranking member. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., will keep the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee. Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., is the subpanel's new ranking member. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., will retain his post as Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee chairman. Aderholt spearheaded bids in 2023 and 2024 to end CPB's advance appropriations (see 2407100060). House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut will continue as the subpanel's lead Democrat.
House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said during the panel’s Wednesday organizational meeting (see 2501130031) that Republicans are “prepared to put the country on a new course” from the Biden administration’s approach “where we close the digital divide and make sure everyone can enjoy the exciting technological developments that have only just begun.” Guthrie is among congressional GOP leaders open to clawing back $42.5 billion allocated to the BEAD program (see 2412270035).
House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said Tuesday he’s keeping Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., as Communications Subcommittee ranking member, as expected (see 2412170053). Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., will stay on as Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee ranking member, Pallone said. Eight Democrats will join House Communications: Nanette Barragan of California, Kathy Castor of Florida, Troy Carter of Louisiana, Greg Landsman of Ohio, Jennifer McClellan of Virginia, Rob Menendez of New Jersey, Scott Peters of California and Raul Ruiz of California. House Commerce will meet Wednesday to ratify the subcommittees’ leaders and approve the panel’s rules for this Congress (see 2501130031).
The House Commerce Committee will hold its organizational meeting for the 119th Congress Wednesday, Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said Monday. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn. The panel will vote to set its rules for this Congress and ranking member Frank Pallone of New Jersey will announce Democratic leaders and membership for the subcommittees. Pallone said last week that the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee added Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez of New York and six other party members to House Commerce. The other additions: Reps. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts, Troy Carter of Louisiana, Rob Menendez of New Jersey, Kevin Mullin of California, Greg Landsman of Ohio and Jennifer McClellan of Virginia.
The office of Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to become chairman, said Thursday night he doesn’t oppose Senate Commerce Committee GOP Telecom Policy Director Arielle Roth as a potential nominee to fill the commission seat Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel will vacate Jan. 20. Carr Chief of Staff Greg Watson pushed back against reports framing Carr as opposing a Roth nomination, a position that would put him in conflict with Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Cruz is strongly backing Roth behind the scenes, leading some to see her as the front-runner for Rosenworcel's seat, communications sector lobbyists told us (see 2412110046).