Senate Commerce Committee
Senate Commerce Committee Approves Secretary of Commerce Nomination
The Senate Commerce Committee approved the presidential nomination of Gina Raimondo, Governor of Rhode Island, to be Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce. The vote was 21-3. Gove Raimondo has said she will work with Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration to stand up an Office of Connectivity and Growth “to amplify the work of NTIA’s BroadbandUSA” activities. And not only is she a no on nationalizing 5G but she is “unaware of any present intention” to build such a government network.
Broadband and Connectivity Provisions in the House Passed Omnibus Package
The House of Representatives’ end of the year omnibus includes:
More than $7 billion in broadband funding as part of COVID-19 relief to:
Senate Commerce GOP OKs Trump FCC Nominee Over Democrats' Opposition
The Senate Commerce Committee approved the nomination of Nathan Simington, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission. The vote was 14-12 along party lines. The nomination now goes before the full Senate. Senate Democrats said that Simington is not qualified to be an FCC commissioner and that he misrepresented his work in the Trump administration during the committee's confirmation process.
Senate Commerce Committee Passes Communications Bills
The Senate Commerce Committee approved:
Local Journalism: America’s Most Trusted News Sources Threatened
Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released a report showing the impact of the transformation of news online and the accompanying loss of revenue. The report shows one factor of the revenue loss is the unfair and abusive practices by tech platforms. The impact of these practices indicates the need for Congress to provide the Federal Trade Commission new authority to protect the local news industry. The report closely examines the unfair and abusive practices by major tech platforms that have contributed to the drastic revenue declines.
Chairman Wicker Requests Facebook, Twitter Disclose Political Interactions Ahead of 10/28 Big Tech Hearing
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) sent letters to Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, Inc., and Jack Dorsey, Chief Executive Officer of Twitter, requesting the companies to disclose any interactions they have had with presidential candidates and their campaigns ahead of the Committee’s Big Tech hearing on October 28.
Republicans Offer Bill to Open Mid-Band Spectrum for Commercial Use
Beat China By Harnessing Important, National Airwaves for 5G Act of 2020, or the Beat CHINA for 5G Act of 2020, would empower the Federal Communications Commission to open more critical mid-band spectrum for non-federal, commercial wireless use by requiring the FCC to begin an auction of the 3.45-3.55 GHz band by December 2021.
Republican Senators Reintroduce Consumer Data Privacy Legislation
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS), Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Setting an American Framework to Ensure Data Access, Transparency, and Accountability (SAFE DATA) Act. The legislation would provide Americans with more choice and control over their data and direct businesses to be more transparent and accountable for their data practices.
Committee Approves Bills, Nominations
The Senate Commerce Committee approved a number of bills and nominations including the following: