Jimm Phillips

House Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and other lawmakers met Thursday with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on a coming infrastructure spending legislative push. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., is expected to renew a bid for $100 billion for broadband as part of a legislative package (see 2102100061). “We're going to talk about infrastructure and American competitiveness and what we're going to do to make sure we once again lead the world across the board in infrastructure,” Biden told reporters. “It makes us a hell of a lot more competitive around the world if we have the best infrastructure in the world.” Biden “wants to move as quickly as possible,” DeFazio told reporters. “He wants it to be very big, and he feels that this is the key to the recovery package.” This was a “refreshing” contrast to efforts to reach a deal on infrastructure money during former President Donald Trump’s term, DeFazio said: “It’s just a whole different world. It’s way better.”

Senate Democrats reached a deal Thursday on changes to the American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 budget reconciliation package (HR-1319), including cuts to proposed funding for E-rate remote learning use (see 2103010050). Lawmakers maneuvered before the vote to alter broadband funding included in the measure, including the $7.6 billion for E-rate, amid wrangling to secure unanimous Democratic caucus support (see 2103030063). The Senate voted 51-50 Thursday to begin formal debate on HR-1319, though there will be further delays because Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., insisted the full bill text be read aloud. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed to keep the chamber in Washington until a final vote. “No matter how long it takes, the Senate is going to stay in session to finish the bill this week,” he said. The substitute amendment that the Senate Budget Committee circulated Thursday would cut the E-rate money by $428 million to $7.17 billion, as expected. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and other centrist members of the Democratic caucus reached agreement with leadership to allocate $10 billion of HR-1319’s $350 billion in state and local government funding specifically for broadband and other infrastructure projects “directly enabling work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options.” King and three other senators, meanwhile, urged the FCC, Department of Commerce and other federal agencies to “align the definition of what constitutes high-speed broadband service across federal agencies” at 100 Mbps download and upload.

Senators began sparring Wednesday over the American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 budget reconciliation package (HR-1319), including whether to increase or retain proposed broadband funding. Formal debate on HR-1319 was expected to have begun after a vote to proceed on the measure that may happen Thursday. Lawmakers and communications officials are, meanwhile, looking at whether coming infrastructure legislation should include further funding for E-rate. The House passed HR-1319 last week with $7.6 billion for E-rate remote learning use (see 2103010050).

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., intends to refile legislation “in the coming weeks” to reverse FCC rescission of 2015 net neutrality rules and reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service, as expected (see 2010290001). At Tuesday's Fight for the Future virtual event, Markey appeared to be referencing his Save the Internet Act (see 1903060077). The House passed that in 2019 (see 1904100062). “There's a new day” on the net neutrality debate under President Joe Biden, with Democrats controlling both chambers, Markey said. He plans to “strongly urge” the FCC to undo the “wrongheaded” rescission of 2015 rules once Democrats retake a majority on the 2-2 FCC. Democrats want Biden to quickly name a permanent chair and a nominee to the vacant seat to get to 3-2 (see 2102050064). Lobbyists expect House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., to refile the Save the Internet Act. “We're very optimistic for the future” and prospects for passing a net neutrality bill, since Democrats control Congress and the White House, Doyle said. “We just can't afford to have the government asleep at the wheel when it comes to broadband and other essential services,” as “we have for the last four years” during Donald Trump’s presidency, Doyle said. “We need a cop on the beat and rules of the road.”

The Senate confirmed Gina Raimondo as commerce secretary Tuesday in a bipartisan 84-15 vote, as expected. Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune of South Dakota were among the Republicans who backed Raimondo, after previously voting to advance her out of committee (see 2102030065). The 15 Republicans who opposed Raimondo on the floor included Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, both of whom complained she hadn’t unequivocally ruled out the Commerce Department rolling back restrictions on Huawei and other Chinese telecom and tech firms (see 2102010069). Cruz placed a hold on Raimondo, delaying confirmation (see 2102050064). “Nominees will never be more engaged, more transparent or more forthcoming than during their confirmation process,” so Raimondo's refusal “to be any of these speaks volumes to how she would act” if confirmed, Cruz said on the floor. “There has been a rush to embrace the worst elements of the Chinese Communist Party in the Biden administration, and that includes” Raimondo. “We’re just about six weeks into the Biden presidency,” and the administration “has already been keen on lifting the restrictions on Huawei since the very first week,” Cruz said. “Where will we be six months from now? A year from now? Prohibiting the use of platforms like Huawei and safeguarding American technology from being exploited by Chinese espionage infrastructure are commonsense measures to protect American national security.” Stakeholders congratulated Raimondo, including BSA|The Software Alliance, CTIA, MPA, TechNet and USTelecom.

The House Rules Committee was meeting Friday afternoon to consider amendments and set up a floor schedule for the American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 budget reconciliation package (HR-1319), which includes $7.6 billion for E-rate remote learning (see 2102100061). Three proposed amendments deal with telecom issues, though only one would seek to modify HR-1319’s E-rate funding language. House Rules ranking member Tom Cole of Oklahoma and other Republicans continued to oppose the measure. House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., highlighted E-rate during the hearing as part of “assistance for struggling families.” The funding is needed to “expand internet connectivity to help students and teachers without home internet service,” Pallone said. Republicans “are serious about working on a timely, targeted” pandemic relief package, but Commerce’s part of HR-1319 doesn’t measure up, said committee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington. She complained that Commerce didn’t consider its proposals “through regular order” and that Democrats voted down GOP amendments (see 2102120066). One committee-level proposal would have restricted E-rate to schools and libraries that have fully reopened. Another would have redirected the money to an NTIA pilot to fund “covered partnerships” for broadband projects. House Commerce Committee member Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., proposed an amendment to require the FCC to “establish a priority system that prioritizes” E-rate for schools and libraries in unserved and rural areas. A proposal led by House Agriculture Committee ranking member Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., would allocate $800 million for USDA broadband programs; $300 million would go to the distance learning and telemedicine program. The Broadband Access Loan program would also get $300 million. The Community Connect and Middle Mile programs would each get $100 million. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, sought an amendment to direct the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance to “clarify strategies to overcome existing barriers and increase access to telehealth under the Medicaid program.”

Newly named Democratic chairmen of the Senate Communications Subcommittee and Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the FCC budget, set their sights on influencing the broadband-focused legislation expected to be an early priority for President Joe Biden’s administration (see 2101150001). Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., chairs the Senate Commerce Committee's Communications Subcommittee (see 2102190056). Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., leads the Appropriations Committee's Financial Services Subcommittee, which oversees the FCC and FTC budgets (see 2102120067).

A Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing on broadcasting and cable companies’ role in spreading disinformation focused on letters two subpanel members earlier sent to 12 major providers asking them to justify carrying Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network, as expected (see 2102230001). Republicans said the letters (see 2102220068), from Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney, both D-Calif., are evidence Democrats want to punish conservative news media. Democrats emphasized they aren’t seeking new legislation to regulate the media.

President Joe Biden was expected to have signed off Wednesday night on an executive order aimed at improving the resiliency of the supply chain for semiconductors and other “essential products.” The EO would direct federal agencies to conduct a 100-day comprehensive review of U.S. supply chains for semiconductors and three other products, the White House said. It would direct a one-year review of the U.S. supply chain for information and communications technology. Agencies should recommend ways to improve supply chain resiliency, the White House said. The Information Technology Industry Council and Semiconductor Industry Association praised the coming document. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and 11 other lawmakers met with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss supply chain resiliency. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters he focused on funding the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act. The measure, which passed as part of the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (see 2101030002), authorizes federal incentives to promote semiconductor manufacturing and public-sector investments in semiconductor R&D. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., another meeting participant, said in a statement that the U.S. must “bring home the manufacturing of advanced technologies, including for 5G infrastructure, in order to address potential shortages and vulnerabilities.”

Democrats and Republicans appeared to be drawing battle lines before a House Communications Subcommittee hearing Wednesday over whether broadcasters, cable companies and streaming services should continue to carry conservative media outlets that critics claim deliberately disseminate disinformation. Lobbyists expect the hearing to largely be a venue to score political points, rather than a precursor to legislation. The virtual hearing begins at 12:30 p.m. EST.