Letter
House Oversight Chairman Comer Probes FCC Decision to Revoke Starlink Funds
The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to reaffirm its revocation of an award authorizing Space Exploration Technologies Corporation’s Starlink to receive broadband deployment subsidies through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). The Committee seeks information from the FCC to ensure that the Commission followed established processes and is not improperly using the regulatory process for political purposes.
Lawmakers Say “Broadband Czar” Harris Must Be Held Accountable for Mismanagement of Federal Initiatives
Sen John Thune (R-SD) and several of his colleagues in sent a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris regarding her "egregious mismanagement of federal broadband initiatives." In particular, the Senators criticized the delayed rollout of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, saying, "Instead of focusing on delivering broadband services to unserved areas, your administration has used the BEAD program to add partisan, extralegal requirements that were never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment. By imposing burdensome climate change mandates on
Sen Cruz Sounds Alarm Over Industry Role in AI Czar Harris' Censorship Agenda
Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) wrote to Jason Matheny, president and CEO of the RAND Corporation to express concern about RAND's involvement in drafting the Biden-Harris' Artificial Intelligence Executive Order. Specifically, he asked Matheny to answer the following five questions:
Sen Klobuchar, Colleagues Urge Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission to Investigate Generative AI Products for Potential Antitrust Violations
Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), along with Sens Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Tina Smith (D-MN) sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan to highlight the risks that new generative artificial intelligence (AI) features pose to competition and innovation in digital content, including journalism, and to urge both agencies to investigate whether the design of these features violates the antitrust laws. “Recently, mu
Lumen Relinquishes RDOF Awards in Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming
Lumen Technologies—through its affiliates Qwest and CenturyTel of Wyoming—was awarded Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) funding to deploy gigabit speed Internet service in areas of Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Now Lumen is returning nine census block groups (CBGs) where it was awarded RDOF funding in those states. Lumen has observed deployment costs increase dramatically in many areas since it made its bids. In addition, in some areas, the number of locations to be deployed to is substantially different from the initial published auction numbers.
Chairwoman Rosenworcel's Response to Members of Congress Regarding the Supreme Court’s Decision on Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo
On July 18, 2024, Members of the House of Representatives wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to call her attention to Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, a recent Supreme Court decision that precludes courts from deferring to agency interpretations when the statutes are ambiguous. [See a similar letter from the Senate's Post-Chevron Working Group.] In its decision, the Court explicitly overruled Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v.
Sen Cruz requests information on BEAD Program
I write to request a detailed update on the major administrative delays in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program that have resulted from unlawful red tape imposed by your agency [the National Telecommunications and Information Administration]. Despite the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) three-year-old clear statutory mandate to bring the internet to the unserved, your agency has failed to connect a single American. What NTIA has done with the money so far is create a nearly billion-dollar slush fund to “administer” the program. Speci
Ranking Member Nadler Calls on Chairman Jordan to Investigate Political Censorship on X
On August 12, Rep Jerry Nadler (D-NY) wrote to Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH) to request that the House Judiciary Committee investigate political censorship on X. Five secretaries of state recently sounded the alarm that Grok, an artificial intelligence chatbot on X, has been sharing inaccurate information about the 2024 election. Rep Nadler wrote "I am concerned that X will not take this matter seriously absent this Committee’s attention. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon described X’s response as 'the equivalent of a shoulder shrug.
Where Does Trump Stand on Section 230 Now?
The Chamber of Progress wrote to Donald trump asking him to clarify his position on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act as voters and donors assess the candidates in this year’s general election. Section 230 is the legal bedrock for online speech. People deserve to know whether Trump still plans to repeal the law that’s enabled online platforms to host user posts, or whether he plans to rewrite the rules for speech online. Republicans often rail against Section 230, but it’s a key tool in enabling free expression online.
Public Interest Groups Urge FCC To Lower Broadband Costs, Increase Consumer Choice for Apartment Residents
The Federal Communications Commission may propose rules and seek public comment on how to best lower costs and address the lack of choice for broadband services available to households in apartments, condos, public housing, and other multi-tenant buildings. Thirty-one organizations wrote to the FCC to express their support for opt-out of bulk billing arrangements.