Policymakers

Under pressure from progressive activists, Democrats are considering employing a rarely used parliamentary maneuver to push through President Biden’s nominees for the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission. Republicans on the Senate Commerce Committee have so far blocked the nominations of Georgetown University law professor Alvaro Bedoya to the FTC and Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] to the FCC, largely on grounds that they are too partisan.

Angela Thi Bennett is now serving as the first-ever digital equity director at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), within the US Department of Commerce. She will move from her current position as DigitalC’s director of advocacy, where she has been a strong champion for digital inclusion in Cleveland (OH). Angela has also been deeply engaged in national digital equity work for years with National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).

President Biden has yet to announce his pick for inspector general for the Federal Communications Commission. That position, which is meant to audit FCC spending and investigate potential fraud and abuse, is set to assume new significance, with billions of dollars in pandemic relief and infrastructure cash now flowing into the agency.

Senate Democrats likely won’t be setting up floor votes this week on President Biden’s long-pending Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission nominees, according to Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA). “We’re missing a few people,” she said, citing the absence of Sen Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) due to COVID-19, as well as a few other Democrats.

In a series of confirmation hearings starting March 21, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will question Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s pick to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court — and while tech policy is not expected to be a major area of focus for either party, two issues in particular could come up. Critics of the tech industry’s treasured liability shield often claim judges have interpreted Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act too broadly.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Assistant Secretary of Commerce Alan Davidson named staff representatives to participate on each other’s advisory committees. This is a critical component of the FCC and National Telecommunication and Information Administration’s Spectrum Coordination Initiative, under which they are taking actions to strengthen the processes for decision making and information sharing and to work cooperatively to resolve spectrum policy issues.

National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan announced a new directorate within the U.S.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, President Biden's most powerful appointee on technology, has largely been an ally to the sector, defending US tech firms abroad and pushing for funding domestically. With Big Tech critics in charge of the government's antitrust enforcement efforts, Sec Raimondo has become the industry's key advocate within the Biden administration. She was deeply involved in negotiations on the bipartisan infrastructure law, with her agency 

Sen Roger Wicker (R-MS) is very likely on his way out as the current ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee. And all signs point to Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) replacing him as ranking member — or chair, depending on how November 2022’s election shapes up — by this time in 2023. The Texas senator has a reputation as a political firebrand unconcerned with diplomatic niceties.