Republican Leader Rodgers Welcomes Eight New Members to the House Commerce Committee

The House Republican Steering Committee selected eight new members to serve on the House Commerce Committee:

  1. Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND): A member of the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee in the 116th Congress, Rep Armstrong has supported tweaks to US antitrust laws to address concerns about competition in the online marketplace. And he’s called for giving regulators who oversee the industry more resources and staffing. He’s also expressed concern about issues around data privacy and facial recognition.
  2. Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX): The former Navy SEAL has railed against tech companies over accusations they “use their power to censor speech and amplify progressive agendas” and called for revamping Section 230 to address concerns over alleged bias. He’s been sharply critical of Chinese telecom giants like Huawei competing with the US on 5G.
  3. Representative John Curtis (R-UT): Two of Curtis' bills were included in a package of 26 bills that House Republicans proposed in the summer of 2020 to streamline the deployment of broadband infrastructure.
  4. Representative Neal Dunn (R-FL) said, "My constituents have also reached out to me about expanding rural broadband infrastructure to help with the rise in remote work and telehealth. These priorities will not only strengthen our economy and help grow my district but as we saw through Operation Warp Speed, they can save lives."
  5. Representative John Joyce (R-PA) is a champion of rural broadband access.
  6. Representative Debbie Lesko (R-AZ): After a slew of tech companies pulled the conservative-friendly Parler app off their products, Rep Lesko called it “Big Tech protecting their monopolies.” And she’s slammed the industry over the anti-conservative bias claims.
  7. Representative Gary Palmer (R-AL) is an opponent of net neutrality rules, saying, “By putting internet content under the thumb of federal bureaucrats, this ruling threatens free speech." 
  8. Representative Greg Pence (R-IN): The brother of Vice President Mike Pence, Rep Greg Pence called boosting rural broadband investment a “major priority” of his for the panel.

Republican Leader Rodgers Welcomes Eight New Members to the House Commerce Committee House E&C GOP Adds Fiesty Tech Combatants to Roster (Politico)