Senate Commerce Committee member Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said during Tuesday's Incompas event (see 2503110058) that until mid-December, he “expected” that the Senate Communications Subcommittee chairmanship would be “my job.” That reflects comments he and then-Chairman Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., made during a December hearing on the Salt Typhoon Chinese government-affiliated effort at hacking U.S. telecom networks (see 2412170053). Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska ultimately got the job after she became eligible for it by relinquishing her role as lead Rules Committee Republican to now-former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Moran said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told us Monday night that he doesn’t expect the chamber to “get to” a vote this week on a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to undo the FCC's July 2024 order allowing schools and libraries to use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots (S.J.Res. 7). That means Senate action on S.J.Res. 7 likely won’t happen until after the chamber returns from its brief, upcoming recess the week of March 24. The Senate has a 60-session-day deadline from S.J.Res. 7’s Jan. 27 filing to fast-track consideration of the measure.
Senate Commerce Committee member Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said Tuesday that he is pushing for his Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act (S-674) to be part of an upcoming GOP-led budget reconciliation package. He and other lawmakers at Incompas' Policy Summit were divided along party lines over a push within the Commerce Department and Congress to revamp NTIA’s $42.5 billion BEAD program. Meanwhile, Moran appeared to lean in favor of repurposing some federally controlled spectrum even as he emphasized that lawmakers must “straddle” the interests of the wireless industry and U.S. military as they negotiate the matter as part of reconciliation (see 2502190068).
The FCC is "moving at breakneck speed" and "really swinging for the fences" since the start of the Trump administration, Chairman Brendan Carr said Tuesday at Incompas' Policy Summit. Carr reiterated his "pretty aggressive agenda," which includes addressing media issues, reining in Big Tech, pushing initiatives that will "spur economic growth," and supporting national security and public safety.
States face less certainty and clarity about the BEAD program in light of Commerce axing its fiber focus and indicating more rules changes could be forthcoming, according to broadband policy experts. Earlier in the week, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the agency is launching a review of BEAD rules and dropping its emphasis on fiber (see 2503050067).
X-energy, a closely held nuclear reactor and fuel design engineering company, has joined Incompas to support the group’s work on AI, Incompas said Thursday. “Collaboration is needed to address the energy needs for advanced technologies,” said Incompas CEO Chip Pickering. “A reliable, clean energy supply, leveraging advanced nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors, promise the enhanced safety, flexibility and reliability to support AI’s growing energy requirements.”
The U.S. shouldn’t rush to adopt comprehensive AI legislation, despite a growing patchwork of state regulations, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told us Wednesday.
Expect big changes to BEAD, with the Donald Trump administration and congressional Republicans rewriting the rules and putting more emphasis on efficient use of funding, tech policy experts said Tuesday at the annual State of the Net conference. Consultant Mike O'Rielly, a former FCC commissioner, said NTIA isn't likely to process any state's final proposals in the near term as it awaits where the administration and Congress take BEAD. States must be flexible and ready to pivot once that new direction becomes clear, he added.
Senate Commerce Committee Democrats are already signaling that they're unlikely to give new NTIA administrator pick Arielle Roth a free pass through her confirmation process, particularly given their amplified doubts about how the agency-administered, $42.5 billion BEAD program will fare under Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary nominee (see 2501290047). Several Senate Commerce Democrats are likely to vote against Lutnick at a Wednesday panel meeting, but lobbyists told us he is all but certain to advance to the floor with unified GOP support.
Incompas elects to board through 2026: For small companies, Gary Watts, Fuse.Cloud; Tom Spackman, Gigabit Fiber; Daniel Friesen, IdeaTek Telecom; Brian Worthen, Mammoth Networks; Elise Brentnall, South Valley Internet; for medium companies, Chris Champion, C Spire; Jill Sandford, FirstLight Fiber; Jon Clopton, Sinch; Ronald Mudry, Uniti Group; for large companies: Jeff Blum, EchoStar; Michael Galvin, Granite Telecommunications; Paula Boyd, Microsoft … MPA hires Josh Rubin, ex-National Security Council, as senior vice president-global strategy and chief of staff, effective Feb. 28, assuming some duties of Urmila Venugopalan, who's advanced to president and managing director-Asia Pacific region ... Associated Press promotes Michael Giarrusso to vice president-news strategy, new post.