House Communications Subcommittee member Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., said during a Wednesday USTelecom event he wants renewed pushes to restore the FCC’s lapsed spectrum auction authority and enact a broadband permitting revamp legislative package to be among the subpanel’s top priorities in the next Congress. Broadband executives likewise named Capitol Hill action on broadband permitting legislation as their top congressional priority once Republicans have control of both chambers in January. The officials also noted interest in lawmakers’ work on a potential USF revamp.

In a post-Chevron deference era, the FCC's space regulatory work beyond its spectrum bailiwick could be on shaky ground, space law experts said Tuesday during an FCBA CLE. Multiple speakers predicted "friendly chaos" for space policy from the incoming Trump administration, with it likely being friendly to commercial space but change being a constant. The Chevron doctrine, under which courts generally defer to regulatory agencies' expertise, was overturned this year by the U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision, which gives agency expertise lesser weight.

Congressional GOP leaders are doubtful about lawmakers' chances of reaching a year-end deal on an additional $3.08 billion for the FCC's Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program even as some Democrats are softening their insistence that the funding move in tandem with stopgap money for the FCC's lapsed affordable connectivity program. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, Rep. August Pfluger of Texas and nine other Republicans wrote congressional leaders Monday to press for rip-and-replace funding in a bid to highlight the issue amid the lame-duck frenzy.

Kids’ online safety legislation is unlikely to gain House approval during the lame-duck session, House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and key Republicans told us in interviews.

During a Thursday Incompas virtual event, communications industry lawyers offered few clues about which lawmakers will fill vacant top GOP slots on the House and Senate Communications subcommittees, but CEO Chip Pickering forecast substantial leadership continuity on both chambers’ Commerce committees. Pickering and lawyers who spoke at the event, meanwhile, saw limited prospects during the lame-duck session that Congress would advance a spectrum legislative package or funding for the FCC’s lapsed affordable connectivity program and Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The NARUC Telecom Committee on Monday cleared draft resolutions on phone number conservation, the Universal Service Fund and utility coordination on broadband deployment. A USF panel that day described how reform could happen with Republicans controlling the FCC and Congress next year. Also, the affordable connectivity program (ACP) could return in 2025 despite Washington’s partisan climate, said Sanford Williams, deputy chief of staff for FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, during a collocated National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) meeting. State utility regulators are holding their annual meeting here this week.

Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz of Texas pressed FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Thursday night to stand down from working on controversial matters during the transition from President Joe Biden to President-elect Donald Trump, as expected (see 2411060042). Cruz's “pencils down” request to Rosenworcel followed a similar Wednesday call from House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, the favorite to lead the agency when Trump takes office in January, backed a pencils-down call Thursday (see 2411070046).

Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., a candidate to become the chamber's majority leader in the next Congress, said Thursday he thinks President-elect Donald Trump shouldn’t endorse a candidate in that race. “It's probably in his best interest to stay out of that,” Thune said during an appearance on CNBC's Squawk Box. Thune, the Senate Republican whip, is seen as having an edge in the GOP leader race against former Whip John Cornyn of Texas and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. Senate Republicans were guaranteed to have at least 52 seats in the chamber Thursday. News organizations still hadn’t projected a winner Thursday in the Nevada Senate race between Democratic Senate Commerce Committee member Jacky Rosen and Republican challenger Sam Brown (see 2411060043), but the incumbent had a lead of almost 13,000 votes, with 93% of the tally counted. The battle for control of the House remained unresolved Thursday, with Republicans having 210 seats and Democrats 195. Some news organizations declared House Communications Subcommittee member Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, the winner Thursday in her reelection bid against Democrat Christina Bohannan, but the Associated Press and CNN were among those not yet declaring the vote count final. Miller-Meeks continued to lead Bohannan by 799 votes as of Thursday, with 99% of the tally finished.

The FTC is breaking the law by refusing to follow statutory mandates that would allow consolidation of lawsuits against the agency’s new click-to-cancel rule, said NCTA, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Electronic Security Association in a filing this week (see 2410240001).

Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, an overwhelming favorite to become chairman when President-elect Donald Trump returns to office Jan. 20 (see 2411060042), said Thursday the FCC should stand down from working on controversial matters during the transition from President Joe Biden to Trump’s second term. House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., sent FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel a “pencils down” letter Wednesday (see 2411060043). Senate Republicans will likely send Rosenworcel similar demands soon.