This report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day’s press releases. POTUS’ Schedule* 9:30 a.m. ET – THE PRESIDENT receives the President’s Daily Brief | The White House 11:30 a.m. ET – THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on his plan to fight inflation and lower costs for … Continue Reading
President-Elect Joe Biden’s recent presumed victory in the general election will push forward major shifts in US policy across a wide array of issues, including transportation and infrastructure. Broadly, Biden and his transition team have indicated a desire to work with Congress in early 2021 to enact a large-scale infrastructure package, which would include what … Continue Reading
Former vice president and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden announced this week the second plank of his economic policy: a clean energy and infrastructure plan, encompassing some of his most progressive policies yet. In a July 14 speech in Wilmington, Delaware, Vice President Biden announced plans to create “millions of high-paying union jobs by building … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senators Seek Probe of Cyber Attacks on FCC’s Website On May 31, Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Al Franken (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward Markey (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrote a letter to Andrew McCabe, Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), asking agency to “prioritize” an investigation into cyber-attacks that … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Democrats Introduce Infrastructure Bill that Includes $40 Billion for Broadband On May 17, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) introduced H.R.2479, the Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s America Act (LIFT America Act). According to a press release on Rep. Pallone’s website, the legislation “sets out five years of funding for essential infrastructure improvements, job growth, … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senators Introduce Bill to Expand Broadband Deployment Using Accurate Coverage Data On May 11, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced S.1104, the Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017. The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to “collect broadband coverage … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Cell Location Privacy Act Introduced in House On February 15, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced H.R.1061, the Cell Location Privacy Act of 2017. The bill proposes to ban the use of cell-site simulators, known as StingRay devices, without first obtaining a warrant. Cell-site simulators are devices that appear to be legitimate cell phone … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes Bill Concerning Broadband Access for Veterans On December 6, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.6394, the Improving Broadband Access for Veterans Act of 2016. The bill— introduced on November 29, 2016 by Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA)—requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to submit a one-time report to Congress “on promoting … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Rep. Greg Walden to Chair House Energy & Commerce Committee in the 115th Congress Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) has been selected by the House Republican Steering Committee (the body that assigns party members to House committees) to chair the House Energy & Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) in the 115th Congress, which will … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes Bill Preventing Broadband Rate Regulation On April 15, the House of Representatives (House) passed H.R.2666, the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act by a vote of 241-173. The bill’s main provision states that “the Federal Communications Commission may not regulate the rates charged for broadband Internet access service.” The … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Subcommittee to Examine Seven Communications Bills The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (Communications Subcommittee) of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (House Commerce Committee) will hold a legislative hearing on April 13 during which it will review seven communications-related bills. The following legislation will be considered during the hearing: H.R.2031, the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Democratic Senators Voice Concerns Over Cable and Broadband Competition and Fees On February 3, a group of six Democratic Senators, including Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Al Franken (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler in which … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senators Voice Concern over Broadband Speeds in Advance of FCC’s 2016 Broadband Progress Report Days before the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) January Open Meeting at which the FCC adopted its 2016 Broadband Progress Report, six Senate Republicans wrote a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler arguing that the FCC’s broadband speed benchmarks were … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Subcommittee Advances Spectrum Bill and Broadband Deployment Package On December 2, the Communications and Technology Subcommittee (Communications Subcommittee) of the House Energy & Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) advanced two pieces of legislation to the full committee. The first, H.R.1641, the Federal Spectrum Incentive Act of 2015, was approved by voice vote. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Bill That Would Decrease FCC’s Budget On Thursday, July 23, the Senate Committee on Appropriations (Senate Appropriations Committee) approved the Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill (Appropriations Bill). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would receive $320 million, a cut of $20 million (roughly 6%) … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Commerce Committee Advances FCC Transparency Bill On June 3, the House Energy & Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) approved, by voice vote, H.R.2583, the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2015. The bill was introduced to the House Commerce Committee on May 29 by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) after having been … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Bill Introduced to Reform FCC Rulemaking On February 2, Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) introduced a bill, H.R.655,that would reform the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) rulemaking processes. Specifically, the bill requires an analysis of the costs and benefits during the rulemaking process and creates certain presumptions regarding regulatory forbearance and biennial regulatory review determinations. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity The Rebuild America Act Includes Funding for Broadband On January 27, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced a bill entitled The Rebuild America Act. The legislation envisions a five-year plan to rebuild the country’s network of roads, bridges, transit systems, and other major infrastructure projects. Included in the bill’s $1 trillion investment is $5 … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity GOP Lawmakers Unveil Net Neutrality Bill Restricting FCC Power On January 16, Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate unveiled draft net neutrality bills that would require broadband providers to follow some net neutrality principles while imposing important new restrictions on the power of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The legislation proposes to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity STELA Reauthorization Act Passes House and Senate On November 19, the House approved H.R. 5728, the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014, which will ensure that 1.5 million satellite television subscribers continue to receive distant broadcast network television signals. The Senate approved the legislation on November 20, 2014, and President Obama signed it into … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes E-LABEL Bill On Thursday, November 13, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Senate version of the Enhance Labeling, Accessing, and Branding of Electronic Licenses Act (E-LABEL Act) (S. 2583). The E-LABEL Act allows manufacturers of electronics to meet FCC labeling requirements by posting digital notices providing that information on the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity White House Releases “Big Data” Report Last Thursday, May 1, the White House released a highly-anticipated report on the collection of “big data” and its impact on privacy, public policy, and the economy. The report, requested by President Obama in the wake of public disclosures about the National Security Agency’s data collection practices, … Continue Reading
In Verizon v. FCC, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned the Federal Communications Commission’s (“Commission” or “FCC”) anti-discrimination and anti-blocking provisions of the Open Internet regime. The panel vacated each measure as “per se common carrier obligations” impermissibly imposed on providers of broadband Internet service, which … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity FCC Nominations The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation is expected to hold a confirmation hearing on Republican Michael O’Reilly’s nomination to serve as a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) after Congress reconvenes in September. Tom Wheeler, President Barack Obama’s nominee to chair the FCC, has already been voted out … Continue Reading