Jimm Phillips

House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., is eyeing how to move forward on her Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act (HR-1338) after the chamber failed to pass the FCC licensing revamp measure Tuesday under suspension of the rules. Meanwhile, the panel is set to mark up the NTIA Reauthorization Act (HR-4510) and two other Communications Subcommittee-cleared bills Thursday. The House Appropriations Committee is eyeing a potential markup this week of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s FY 2024 funding bill, which would end advance money to CPB beginning in FY 2026 (see 2307140069), subpanel Chairman Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., told us.

The House plans to vote as soon as Tuesday under suspension of the rules on the Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act (HR-1338) and three other Commerce Committee-approved communications policy bills, said the office of Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. Notably absent from the agenda is the Spectrum Auction Reauthorization Act (HR-3565), which some lawmakers were pushing House leaders to bring up for a floor vote before Congress leaves on the month-plus August recess (see 2307200071). The House Rules Committee, meanwhile, will consider Wednesday whether to allow votes on three broadband-focused amendments to the FY 2024 Agriculture Department appropriations bill (HR-4368).

House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee told us they’re geared up to fight against lower chamber Republicans’ bid to defund CPB via FY 2024 federal funding legislation. The House Appropriations LHHS Subcommittee voted earlier this month to advance its funding bill without any mention of CPB funding, meaning the program wouldn’t have any advance federal funding for FY 2026 (see 2307140069).

Capitol Hill may be on course to tackle a trifecta of major FCC and communications policy matters during the final week before Congress begins the month-plus August recess, including Senate floor votes on Democratic commission nominee Anna Gomez, but lawmakers cautioned Thursday afternoon that action on those issues remained uncertain. Senate Democrats were urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to file cloture on Gomez in hopes of setting up floor votes next week on the nominee, whose confirmation would bring the FCC to a 3-2 Democratic majority more than two years into President Joe Biden’s term.

The House was set to begin considering the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act FAA reauthorization bill (HR-3935) Wednesday night without four proposed satellite and spectrum amendments that the Rules Committee decided not to allow floor votes on attaching to the measure. One from Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, was specifically aimed at preventing repeats of the public conflict in 2022 between wireless carriers rolling out commercial operations on the C band and the aviation industry over potential altimeter interference (see 2201180065). Carriers agreed earlier this year to extend protection for flight operations from some C-band deployments until Jan. 1 (see 2304030070).

Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., confirmed to us Tuesday that there are holds on FCC nominee Anna Gomez and renominated Commissioner Geoffrey Starks that prevent the chamber from confirming the two Democrats via unanimous consent (see 2307180073). “I don’t know the particulars of the holds, but that has the effect of slowing things down” and affecting the prospects for Senate Democrats to confirm at least Gomez before the chamber begins the month-plus August recess, said Thune, who’s also minority whip. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said during a Wednesday news conference the chamber’s “first job” is to finish passing the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (S-2226) and then “we’ll see what … goes from there” on potentially keeping the Senate in session into part of August to confirm additional executive nominees.

Senate leaders are facing continued pressure to use floor time to confirm a trio of FCC nominees, or at least new Democratic pick Anna Gomez, before Congress leaves on the month-plus August recess at the end of July amid apparent Republican holds that would prevent approving her via unanimous consent. A GOP-led proposal to hold back either Gomez or incumbent Democratic Commissioner Geoffrey Starks for pairing with two Republican FTC picks, meanwhile, continues to draw at best a tepid reception from supporters of ending the FCC’s two-year 2-2 partisan tie. The Commerce Committee advanced Gomez, Starks and Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr last week on voice votes tinged with partisan opposition (see 2307120073).

The House Appropriations Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) subcommittees advanced their FY 2024 spending bills Friday with proposals to significantly cut annual funding to NTIA and other tech-related Commerce Department agencies and end CPB’s traditional “two-year advance funding status” (see 2307130069). The subpanels advanced their respective bills on voice votes that belied vocal Democratic opposition to the proposed cuts that are expected to reappear when the full Appropriations Committee considers the measures.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday unanimously advanced its version of a FY 2024 federal spending bill that proposes increased annual funding for the FCC and FTC. The House Appropriations Committee voted 34-26 that afternoon to advance the Financial Services Subcommittee's FY24 spending bill, which would decrease funding for both agencies. The House Appropriations Commerce, Justice and Science and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies subcommittees plan to mark up their FY24 spending bills Friday with proposals to decrease funding to NTIA and other tech-related Commerce Department agencies and end CPB’s traditional “two-year advance funding status” altogether.

Senate Democratic officials and other observers now believe it's a matter of when, not if, the chamber will confirm FCC nominee Anna Gomez and renominated Commissioners Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks after the Commerce Committee advanced them Wednesday, all on non-unanimous voice votes, as expected (see 2307110071). Backers of Gomez and Starks and other observers cited unified committee Democratic support for Gomez and Starks as a sign they may get unanimous caucus backing on the floor. At least one of the four Commerce Republicans who didn't oppose the Democratic nominees Wednesday plans to vote for them on the floor.