Communications & Technology

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 National Telecommunications and Information Administration Budget.”  RATE REGULATION LETTER “The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible for managing federal spectrum use and awarding funds to deploy broadband. “In December, following the last NTIA oversight hearing, Chair Latta and I sent a letter regarding your prior testimony suggesting that NTIA was allowing—and even encouraging—rate regulation by States participating in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program. “In your response, you stated that NTIA will consider any definition proposed by an 'eligible entity,' provided that it meets the standards laid out in the BEAD statute. “We agree that NTIA is bound to that statute when implementing the BEAD program. “And the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act explicitly states that NTIA is not authorized to regulate rates charged for broadband services. “Yet we continue to hear from states that NTIA is pushing them to include rate regulated options in their initial proposals for BEAD funding, which completely violates the intent of the law. “Because of NTIA’s decisions, some states have said that additional federal funding will be needed. “They’ve veered away from the technology-neutral principles mandated by law and even sought to engage in rate regulation of broadband service, despite them knowing that this will fail to connect all Americans. “Many of these proposals jeopardize the success of the BEAD program and hinder the program’s mission, to connect as many Americans as possible. “While this program is distributed by the federal government and state broadband offices, it will be the participating providers, both big and small, that will ultimately determine the BEAD program’s success. “It’s vital that NTIA follows Congressional direction, administers this program to the letter of the law and rejects state plans that stray from these goals, regardless of political leaning and leadership.” CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS “I am encouraged that NTIA is working with agencies to streamline the permitting process for BEAD recipients. “With billions of dollars made available for broadband deployment, interagency coordination on all levels is key to ensuring this money is not wasted and efforts are not duplicated. “But I caution the agency against creating a permitting regime that only benefits government funded projects, which will further discourage investment and widen the digital divide. “This Committee has taken decisive action to rollback similar permitting requirements for all broadband projects. “H.R. 3557, the American Broadband Deployment Act, would allow all broadband infrastructure to benefit from the same categorical exclusions that BEAD recipients will enjoy. “I hope NTIA and the Biden administration will support that bill and work with us to get it signed into law.” SPECTRUM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN “Another shared priority is making spectrum available for commercial use, which is essential to maintain American leadership in next-generation wireless technology. “In March, the NTIA released its National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan. “This plan provides a roadmap for ensuring America is leading in spectrum, including timelines for spectrum studies, and I commend NTIA for its transparency in this process thus far. “As the manager of federal government spectrum, I hope NTIA is collaborating with other relevant agencies to push for the most efficient use of spectrum and to identify spectrum that can be made available for commercial use. “Finally, I’m sure we will be hearing about the Affordability Connectivity Program today. There seems to be a lot of finger-pointing from the White House and Democrats on who is to blame. “The Senate, which is controlled by the President’s own party, has not yet acted to fund this program, or reached out to House Republicans to find a solution. “I will also note that as the funding cliff for this program approaches, we’ve seen a remarkable response from industry, offering low-cost options for broadband internet as low as $10 dollars per month, well below ACP’s $30 dollar floor. “We all share the goal of making sure Americans are connected. Hopefully we can move beyond trying to score political points and work together to find a viable, long-term, fiscally responsible way to make it happen.” 

Washington D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s subcommittee hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2025 National Telecommunications and Information Administration Budget.”  NTIA MUST RESPONSIBLY MANAGE THE BEAD PROGRAM   “Today, members of this committee expect an update on America’s largest investment to bridge the digital divide: the BEAD program.  “This $42.45 billion dollar fund is statutorily obligated to connect unserved and underserved Americans to reliable broadband Internet so that they are able to reap the benefits that come with connectivity.  “Since we last spoke, states submitted their initial proposals for this funding.  “Louisiana, the first state to submit their Volume II application, celebrated the approval of their initial proposal on December 15, 2023.  “Now, over four months later, NTIA has only approved the Volume II applications for three additional states: Kansas, Nevada, and West Virginia.  “I hope NTIA will not miss the statutory timeline for this program. It is essential for you to work diligently to keep this program on track to close the digital divide.  “While it is important to have reasonable processing timelines for this program, ensuring that BEAD is a program that broadband providers will be willing to participate in is also essential.  “In February, the Department of Commerce Office of the Inspector General echoed the sentiment that Republicans have stated since the passage of the infrastructure law: the BEAD program must be technology neutral to fit the broadband needs of the different states and territories.  “The OIG warned that NTIA must relax the fiber preference and Extremely High-Cost threshold to take into consideration the limited availability of resources to support a fiber preference.  “Ignoring innovations in unlicensed fixed wireless and satellite technologies will make the BEAD program a 'deploy as much fiber as possible' program instead of the 'connect every American' program that Congress directed.” WORKING WITH STATE REGULATORS “In addition, members of this committee have expressed concern about NTIA forcing states to regulate broadband rates, imposing burdensome labor requirements, and ignoring other congressional directives. “Now that OIG has confirmed our earlier fears, we hope you will finally listen to the other concerns we have raised. “I expect that we will hear today from the Assistant Secretary and my Democrat colleagues about the need to provide funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. “I will just note that the Senate is controlled by your party and has yet to send a solution to the House. “We have also not been asked to work on reforms to the program that would earn our support to fund. “However, I am actively participating in the bipartisan, bicameral USF Working Group, which is working on a long term, sustainable solution to ensuring that the Affordable Connectivity Program is sustainable long term, and I would encourage all of my colleagues to support that effort. “Broadband is only one facet of our conversation today. “NTIA’s work spans from leading the executive branch in studies on federal spectrum use, reports on artificial intelligence and quantum computing, to spurring innovation in public safety and open radio access networks.” NTIA REAUTHORIZATION “As NTIA’s mission continues to expand, it is important Congress’ intent for the agency remains clear. Reauthorizing the NTIA is still a top priority for this committee, and I look forward to my bill with the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee being considered by the full House this week that will do just that. It has now been over 30 years since NTIA was last authorized.  “It is our duty to provide direction to the executive branch agencies within our jurisdiction and this committee takes that role seriously.  “We must move H.R. 4510, the NTIA Reauthorization Act through the Senate and to the Presidents desk.  “I must note I was disappointed, following our December oversight hearing, that we did not receive answers in the 30 days we requested on the additional questions we sent you, and instead, got a response months later on April 19th.  “This delay is unacceptable.  “As Members of Congress, and your oversight committee, you have a responsibility to respond to inquiries in a timely manner.  “Following this hearing, we expect prompt responses to our questions.” 

Washington D.C. — Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4510, the National Telecommunications Information and Administration Reauthorization Act , led by Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-CA). Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement upon passage: “For continued American leadership, we must ensure the NTIA’s mission, structure, and responsibilities reflect the modern communications ecosystem. This legislation reauthorizes the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for the first time in over 30 years and modernizes the mission of the agency. NTIA plays an important role in our ongoing efforts to close the digital divide and secure connectivity for every American. I thank Reps. Latta and Matsui for leading on this legislation to give the NTIA clear direction and ensure the U.S. is dominating in everything from responsible management of our spectrum resources to broadband and artificial intelligence.” 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) wrote to NPR CEO Katherine Maher regarding reports of political and ideological bias at the taxpayer-funded public radio organization. In addition to requesting answers to questions, the letter requests Ms. Maher appear before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee for a hearing on May 8, 2024. "The Committee has concerns about the direction in which NPR may be headed under past and present leadership. As a taxpayer funded, public radio organization, NPR should focus on fair and objective news reporting that both considers and reflects the views of the larger U.S. population and not just a niche audience," the Chairs wrote.   They continued , "We also find it disconcerting that NPR’s coverage of major news in recent years has been so polarized as to preclude any need to uncover the truth. These have included news stories on matters of national security and importance, such as the Mueller report, the Hunter Biden laptop, and the COVID-19 origins investigation. On each of these issues, NPR has been accused of approaching its news reporting with an extreme left-leaning lens." “In light of the recent, disturbing revelations about National Public Radio (NPR) and its leadership, I’ve directed Chair McMorris Rodgers and the Energy and Commerce Committee to conduct an investigation of NPR and determine what actions should be taken to hold the organization accountable for its ideological bias and contempt for facts. The American people support the free press but will not be made to fund a left-leaning political agenda with taxpayer funds.” said Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) regarding the effort. CLICK HERE to read the letter.

Letter argues agency lacks legal authority to reinstate burdensome rules that will hurt consumers Washington, D.C. – U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX) led a bicameral coalition of their committee colleagues in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reverse course and abandon its so-called “net neutrality” draft order—an illegal power grab that would expose the broadband industry to an oppressive regulatory regime under Title II of the Communications Act. The FCC is set to vote on the draft order on Thursday. The members argue that the FCC’s draft order ignores the text of the Communications Act of 1934, which explicitly precludes the FCC from treating broadband as a public utility. Moreover, the Supreme Court’s recent jurisprudence on the major questions doctrine confirms that the only body that can authorize public utility regulation of broadband is Congress. Resurrecting this failed Obama-era policy, which will inevitably be struck down by the courts, is a waste of time and re sources and will punish American consumers by choking off investment, innovation, and competition. In a letter to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the members write: “Congress’s decision to treat broadband Internet access as an information service, rather than a telecommunications service, was a deliberate policy choice. Congress recognized that ‘[t]he Internet and other interactive computer services have flourished, to the benefit of all Americans, with a minimum of government regulation,’ and accordingly decreed that it ‘is the policy of the United States... to promote the continued development of the internet and other interactive computer services... [and] to preserve the vibrant and competitive free market that presently exists for the Internet and other interactive computer services, unfettered by Federal or State regulation.’   “Your proposal to reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service does the exact opposite. It would give the Commission largely unfettered power to impose (and allow states to impose) rate regulation, tariffing requirements, unbundling obligations, entry and exit regulation, and taxation of broadband—the antithesis of leaving broadband ‘unfettered’ by regulation as the law requires. Congress has had many opportunities to give the FCC such power, yet it has never done so in any of its ample legislative enactments regarding broadband over the past two decades. Rather, legislators have repeatedly considered but ultimately rejected efforts to replace the longstanding light-touch framework with common carrier regulation. And for good reason: Title II will inflict significant damage on consumers by chilling investment and innovation.   “Finally, recent jurisprudence from the Supreme Court confirms that the Commission has no power to impose Title II on the broadband industry. As the Commission’s record demonstrates, the question of whether broadband should be subject to public utility regulation is an issue of ‘vast economic and political significance,’ such that the Commission must identify ‘clear authorization from Congress’ to justify such a decision. Our review of the relevant statutory provisions leaves no doubt that, far from possessing the type of ‘clear’ statutory authority required under Supreme Court precedent, the Commission lacks any authority to subject broadband services to common-carrier regulation.” The full list of Senators joining Chair Rodgers and Ranking Member Cruz in sending the letter include: Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Deb Fischer (Re-Neb.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.). Also signing the letter were Reps. Bob Latta (OH-5), Michael Burgess (TX-26), Brett Guthrie (KY-2), Morgan Griffith (VA-9), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Larry Bucshon (IN-8), Richard Hudson (NC-9), Tim Walberg (MI-5), Buddy Carter (GA-1), Jeff Duncan (SC-3), Gary Palmer (AL-6), Neal Dunn (FL-2), John Curtis (UT-3), Debbie Lesko (AZ-8), Greg Pence (IN-6), Dan Crenshaw (TX-2), John Joyce (PA-13), Kelly Armstrong (ND-At-large), Randy Weber (TX-14), Rick Allen (GA-12), Troy Balderson (OH-12), Russ Fulcher (ID-1), August Pfluger (TX-11), Diana Harshbarger (TN-1), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-1), Kat Cammack (FL-3), Jay Obernolte (CA-23), and John James (MI-10). The full text of the letter is available HERE .

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee (E&C) Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), E&C Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH), E&C Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), E&C Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, launched an investigation into grants made to an AI scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  The Chairs made requests for documents to UCLA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).  BACKGROUND :  On November 1, 2023, a Newsweek investigation found that the federal government awarded at least $30 million in federal research grants led by Mr. Song-Chun Zhu, who is now “at the forefront of China's race to develop the most advanced artificial intelligence.”  The investigation further revealed the NSF and DOD continued funding Mr. Zhu even as he “set up a parallel institute near Wuhan, took a position at a Beijing university whose primary goal is to support Chinese military research, and joined a CCP ‘talent plan’ whose members are tasked with transferring knowledge and technology to China.”  In particular, Newsweek found that the project once led by Mr. Zhu received $1.2 million in two grants from the Office of Naval Research in 2021, the year following his departure to China.  KEY LETTER EXCERPT:   “Mr. Zhu has openly discussed how if China takes the lead in developing a ‘truly universal intelligence,’ then it will ‘become the winner of the international technology competition.’ He has also referred to the AI race as being equivalent in military importance to the race for the atomic bomb. In a period of intensifying geopolitical competition with the CCP, ceasing federal government support for Chinese AI development is a critical national security imperative.”  CLICK HERE to read the letter to UCLA Chancellor Gener Block.  CLICK HERE to read the letter to NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.  CLICK HERE to read the letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.