House Commerce Committee

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai refused to brief House Commerce Committee staff on why the FCC has yet to end wireless carriers’ unauthorized disclosure of consumers’ real-time location data and what actions the FCC has taken to address the issue to date.

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai requesting he provide an emergency briefing to Committee staff on why the FCC has yet to end wireless carriers’ unauthorized disclosure of consumers’ real-time location data and what actions the FCC has taken to address the issue to date. Chairman Pallone wrote that an emergency briefing is necessary in the interest of public safety and national security, and therefore cannot wait until President Donald Trump decides to reopen the government. 

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) announced the Committee’s six subcommittees for the 116th Congress.

The House has passed, by a voice vote,  the SMART (State of Modern Application, Research, and Trends) IoT (Internet of Things) Act (H.R. 6032). Authored by Consumer Digital Commerce Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta (R-OH) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), the SMART IoT Act would direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study on the state of the internet-connected devices industry. The report is to be delivered to Congress within one year. 

The legislation instructs the Sec of Commerce to 

(1) develop and conduct a survey of the internet-connected devices industry including:

Chairman Pai’s relationship with Sinclair needed to be investigated in light of Sinclair’s ties to the President and the Chairman’s abysmal responses to Congressional Democrats’ numerous oversight letters.  It should not take an IG investigation to get answers to basic questions regarding independence and integrity. The IG report provides the first detailed responses to Congress’ questions.

Lawmakers sparred over ways to bring more investment to rural broadband services. Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said government needs to complement private investment not compete against it.

House Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) announced the Compassionate Calling and Immigrant Family Reunification Act of 2018 to put an end to the abusive practice of charging detained immigrant parents extortionary rates to use the phone to either contact their children that have been separated from them and placed in detention facilities or to contact federal agencies to learn where their children are being held.