John Hendel

Geoffrey Starks, who sailed through a Senate Commerce Committee confirmation vote with unanimous backing, had seemed poised June 28 to assume a vacant Federal Communications Commission seat in a Senate vote by unanimous consent, paired with current-FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s nomination for a second term. But despite optimism from Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), the nominations didn't go through.

Network neutrality skeptics sought to sound the alarm during a TechFreedom Hill briefing on the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to undo the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of Obama-era open internet rules. The measure passed the Senate on a 52-47 vote, but still needs 218 backers to force a vote in the House.

The Senate Commerce Committee is looking to schedule a nomination hearing for Federal Communications Commission nominee Geoffrey Starks “as soon as we can,” pending paperwork, said Chairman John Thune (R-SD). The White House sent the nomination to the Senate on June 4, and Chairman Thune said he wants to pair Starks’ nomination with that of FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to a second term. Packaging Republican and Democratic nominees together typically smooths their path through the Senate. “Hopefully we’ll be able to pair them and get a vote,” Chairman Thune said.

The House Appropriations Committee quietly rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to help restore the US operations of the controversial Chinese tech megafirm, ZTE. Lawmakers from both parties unanimously agreed to include in an appropriations bill a provision that would uphold sanctions against the Chinese phone-maker, just days after President Donald Trump revealed in a tweet that he has directed his administration to help put the company “back in business.” The language was added to a relatively uncontroversial House spending bill, which funds the Commerce Department, among other ag

Earl Comstock, a high-ranking deputy to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, is quietly pushing for President Donald Trump to support a congressional effort to restore the net neutrality rules, He is advising that President Trump back a resolution that would reverse the Federal Communications Commission repeal, a move that would put President Trump in direct opposition to Ajit Pai, his hand-picked FCC chairman.

Republicans aren’t exactly rushing to support the Congressional Review Act resolution from Senate Democrats to restore the Obama-era net neutrality rules. While net neutrality advocates are trying to secure that elusive 51st vote, prominent GOP members are scoffing. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Bob Corker (R-TN) and John Boozman (R-AR) plan to vote against the CRA. “That was pretty much a no-brainer for me, it wasn’t even a difficult decision,” said Sen Corker who is retiring, arguing that the internet functioned fine before the Federal Communications Commission regulations.

Both maps illustrate just what a patchwork broadband access remains in the United States, with well-connected areas right next to disconnected areas. Overall, more than 30 percent of rural America still lacks access to what the Federal Communications Commission considers adequate broadband. That’s a stark contrast from urban areas, where only 2.1 percent lack this connectivity.

President Donald Trump's pick to head the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, David Redl, privately assured Republican senators that he would look at reversing the Obama administration's decision to give up US oversight of over ICANN, the global nonprofit that manages the internet's domain name system. Redl made the pledge  to Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT), who had condemned the move to international control as a giveaway that could empower authoritarian governments.

 Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-SD) says the average American is not likely to be swayed in the 2018 midterms by Senate Democrats forcing a vote on reinstating the net neutrality rules. “I think they see it as a really hot political issue [that] gets their base kind of energized.

House Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) took aim against FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who joined Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D-NY) to bash fake comments and call for a delay to the Federal Communications Commission vote to repeal net neutrality rules. “There is no reason” for delay, said Chairman Greg Walden. “That is a false issue, and I am deeply disappointed in the role that Commissioner Rosenworcel has decided to play in this matter.