Report: Sen Reid Blocking Mobile Now Act Over Rosenworcel Vote

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) appears to be holding up a Senate vote on the bipartisan Mobile Now Act in an effort to get Republicans to bring up the renomination of FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel for a vote in the Senate. Commissioner Rosenworcel's renomination was unanimously approved by the Commerce Committee late in 2015, but the full Senate has yet to vote.

Apparently, a spokesperson for the Senate Majority Leader, when asked about the hold, said: "Sen Reid continues to expect Chairman [John] Thune and Sen [Mitch] McConnell to keep their word and re-confirm Commissioner Rosenworcel." Sen Thune (R-SD) is chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and co-sponsor of the bill with Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL). The bipartisan bill, which specifically targets the buildout of 5G mobile broadband, was the result of months of negotiations. Among the reasons for the tough negotiations on the bill were the tensions between licensed and unlicensed, as well as commercial and incumbent government users of the spectrum.