The lame-duck session will provide a good chance to get kids’ privacy legislation signed into law, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told us Thursday.
House Oversight Committee Democrats tussled with Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr during a Thursday hearing over his responses to their questions about former President Donald Trump’s call to revoke ABC’s licenses over the network’s handling of his Sept. 10 presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris (see 2409110058). House Oversight Democrats also repeatedly highlighted that Carr wrote the telecom chapter of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 policy agenda (see 2407050015). Panel Republicans focused on amplifying Carr’s criticism of NTIA’s implementation of the $42.5 billion broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program (see 2408070023).
NATOA, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and two more local government groups reinforced their opposition (see 2311060069) to the House Commerce Committee-cleared American Broadband Deployment Act (HR-3557) Wednesday. House Commerce last year advanced the measure, a package of GOP-led connectivity permitting revamp measures, without Democratic support (see 2305240069). NCTA and nine other communications industry groups urged House leaders last month to defeat the measure before the end of this Congress (see 2409050035). HR-3557 “represents an unprecedented and dangerous usurpation of local governments’ authority to manage public rights-of-way and land use,” NATOA and the other groups said in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. The National Association of Counties and National League of Cities also signed. They noted the bill “favors a model for local permitting that unfairly constrains local input and threatens to undo significant local coordination efforts that have occurred across the country to prepare and act upon this historic moment in federal broadband infrastructure investment.” In “return for these gifts, the bill imposes no obligations on cable, wireless, and telecommunications companies to provide broadband to ‘unserved’ and ‘underserved’ Americans and, further, passes on the real cost of deployment to already overburdened American households,” the groups said: “That such flawed legislation has moved as far as it has may be attributed to the fact” House Commerce moved HR-3557 “without the benefit of local government testimony nor insights and consequences of the proposed fundamental changes to our nation’s telecommunications policy and rights-of-way authorities.”
The House Commerce Committee on Wednesday approved a pair of kids’ online safety bills on a voice vote, opening the door for potential floor action and negotiations with the Senate.
The House Commerce Committee voted 45-2 Wednesday to advance the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-8449), as expected (see 2409170040). The panel's approval came after a lengthy debate over the proposed mandate that automakers include receiver technology in future automobiles. Several lawmakers voted in favor of HR-8449 but said more changes will be necessary before it reaches the floor. House Commerce later approved on voice votes amended versions of the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (HR-7890) and Kids Online Safety Act (HR-7891) after a sometimes emotional debate (see 2409180048). The panel at our deadline hadn't yet considered the Telehealth Modernization Act (HR-7623).
The House Commerce Committee is back on track to advance the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-8449) as part of a markup session Wednesday, as expected (see 2409100070), but the measure’s Senate backers still face headwinds. The panel said Monday night it will mark up HR-8449, which would mandate that automakers include AM radio technology in future electric vehicles, along with 15 other bills. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
The House Innovation Subcommittee plans a Sept. 19 hearing contrasting current and past FTC practices with an implied aim of criticizing Chair Lina Khan's role in the alleged changing of commission norms. Subpanel Republicans criticized Khan's actions during a July hearing focused on the FTC's FY 2025 budget request (see 2407090044). The Sept. 19 hearing will begin at 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn, the Commerce Committee said Thursday night. The FTC’s monthly meeting is set for 11 a.m. the same day. The commission “has a long, bipartisan history of protecting consumers, without unduly burdening legitimate business activity,” said House Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Innovation Chairman Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla. “Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen the Commission take a different approach when it comes to its historical norms.” That perceived “shift raises questions on its preparation for rulemakings, its retention of staff, and the long-term impact on its effectiveness in sustaining court challenges,” the GOP leaders said: “We look forward to a conversation with experts on how the FTC’s departure from its traditional standards is affecting Americans in their daily lives, consumer safety, and American businesses across the country.”
House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., confirmed to us that the panel will mark up the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-8449) next week but was uncertain about whether a pair of controversial privacy bills -- the American Privacy Rights Act (HR-8818) and Kids Online Safety Act (HR-7891) -- will also be on the docket. House Commerce scuttled a planned June markup of HR-8449 (see 2406270059), which would mandate automakers include AM radio technology in future electric vehicles, because of some House GOP leaders’ opposition to HR-7891 and HR-8818. “We’re still working through” whether there will be consensus to move on HR-7891 and HR-8818 next week, Rodgers said in a brief interview. The Senate voted 91-3 in late July (see 2407300042) to pass its HR-7891 companion, S-1409, as part of a package that included the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (S-1418) Rodgers and other HR-7891 backers have been hoping to use the bipartisan Senate vote on KOSA to gain momentum for House action on the measure amid resistance from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other chamber GOP leaders to that measure and HR-8818 that derailed the June markup session (see 2406270046), lobbyists told us. House Commerce and HR-7891 backers “continue to work on a bipartisan path forward in the House on behalf of the millions of parents who deserve the ability to keep their kids safe,” a panel spokesperson said. S-1409 cosponsor Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., touted new endorsements of the bill Thursday from 10 conservative leaders, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) and several former Trump administration officials.
The growing pace of launches in the U.S. is stressing launch site capabilities, particularly Florida's Cape Canaveral, launch operators said Wednesday at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce aerospace conference in Washington. Meanwhile, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said SpaceX could pose a monopolistic threat in commercial space and that more competition is needed. In addition, the FAA was criticized for its launch regulatory regime.
The House approved the Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and Security Act (HR-7589) and three other telecom security-focused measures Monday night on voice votes. The other bills were the: Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act (HR-820), Countering CCP Drones Act (HR-2864) and Securing Global Telecommunications Act (HR-4741). The House this week was also slated to vote under suspension of the rules on the Future Uses of Technology Upholding Reliable and Enhancing Networks Act (HR-1513) (see 2409060053), but lawmakers didn’t offer the measure for debate Monday night. House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., hailed House passage of HR-820, HR-2864 and HR-7589, which the panel cleared in March (see 2403200076). “China is America’s greatest adversary and poses significant risk to our national and economic security,” she said in a statement. HR-820, HR-2864 and HR-7589 will “advance American competitiveness and global technological leadership, ensuring that America -- not China -- is setting the rules of the road for the technologies of tomorrow.”