Public Citizen, the Future of Music Coalition and 22 other groups urged incoming chairs of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees and the Antitrust Subcommittee Wednesday to “make clear that Big Tech executives, lobbyists, lawyers, or consultants are unacceptable nominees for senior antitrust enforcement roles.” President Joe Biden designated Rebecca Kelly Slaughter as acting FTC chair (see 2101210067) and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard Powers as acting head of DOJ’s Antitrust Division, and stakeholders are waiting to see who will be the actual nominees. The groups wrote they're “concerned about Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google’s concentrated power” becoming a factor in the nominations.
The Senate Commerce Committee plans a Feb. 3 vote on commerce secretary nominee Gina Raimondo, as expected (see 2101260063). The committee voted 21-3 Wednesday to advance transportation secretary nominee Pete Buttigieg, also as expected (see 2101210065). Senate Commerce will also vote Feb. 3 on committee rules and its budget. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in 325 Russell, the committee said.
Facebook continues to “recommend political groups to users despite committing to stopping the practice,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote in a letter Tuesday. CEO Mark Zuckerberg made the commitment at an Oct. 28 Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Markey said: “Facebook continued to recommend political groups that promoted violence, targeted elected officials, and supported insurrection after Mr. Zuckerberg made his commitment.” Markey requested details about the “inconsistency,” as well as plans to stop the recommendations. A company spokesperson emailed: "We have a clear policy against recommending civic or political groups on our platforms, and are investigating why these were recommended in the first place.”
The House Commerce Committee plans its virtual organizational meeting Tuesday at 1 p.m. EST, it said. (See our calendar here). The committee will consider its rules for this Congress and the subcommittees’ jurisdictions and ratios.
House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio, stays in that role this Congress, Commerce Committee ranker Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said Thursday, as expected (see 2012180059). She named Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., to succeed her as Consumer Protection Subcommittee ranking member. It’s “critically important to ensure our laws are keeping pace with the advancements that are changing the ways we communicate,” Latta said. “We must also focus on making sure Americans who live in rural communities … are not left behind.” He intends to work to advance access to high-speed broadband, close the digital divide, on network security, 5G “and maintaining global leadership to bring innovative technologies to market.” Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., is Oversight Subcommittee ranking member, replacing Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., who’s taking over as ranker on the Health Subcommittee. Five new Communications Subcommittee Republicans will join Rodgers on all subcommittees: Buddy Carter of Georgia, John Curtis of Utah, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Richard Hudson of North Carolina and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma.
NCTA and Amazon were the top telecom and tech lobbying spenders in Q4, indicated new records. ViacomCBS and Twitter had the biggest percentage gains in spending compared with the year-ago quarter. Several entities had major decreases, including Huawei, NAB and Disney. NCTA spent $5.26 million, up more than 10%. Amazon had $4.74 million, up more than 12%. Facebook laid out $4.69 million, an almost 6% increase. CTIA spent $4.6 million and Qualcomm $1.86 million, both up more than 4%. Comcast reported $3.92 million, Charter more than $3 million and AT&T $2.63 million, all up more than 7%. Verizon spent $2.41 million, down over 7%. T-Mobile spent $2.4 million, about even with 2019. NAB expended $2.14 million, a drop of more than 24%. Google reported $2.11 million, Apple $1.45 million and Disney $720,000, all down about 23%. IBM spent just over $1 million, a decrease of more than 6%. Dell spent $910,000, down 14%. ViacomCBS spent $890,000, up more than 25%. Cox reported $830,000, down more than 3%. USTelecom spent $810,000, 8% higher. CenturyLink laid out $520,000, more than 8% lower. Twitter doled out $370,000, up more than 23%. The Competitive Carriers Association at $180,000 was little changed. Huawei spent $20,000, dropping 98%.
The FCC decision not to stay its Ligado approval (see 2101200001) was "a disappointing, last-minute maneuver" by Chairman Ajit Pai's commission "that puts the FCC completely at odds with the" National Defense Authorization Act, the Satellite Safety Alliance said Wednesday. In its NDAA passage and veto override, Congress "told the FCC its April Ligado order creates harmful interference to satellite communications service providers and GPS and American taxpayers will not foot the bill," it said. "We're encouraged by the negative votes from Commissioners [Jessica] Rosenworcel and [Geoffrey] Starks and we hope for swift action to protect critical services. The members of the Satellite Safety Alliance have been raising the alarm for years and will continue to do so." Alliance members include Iridium, Aerospace Industries Association, National Air Transportation Association and National Emergency Number Association.
Transportation Secretary nominee Pete Buttigieg would “welcome the opportunity to make sure” the Department of Transportation “is open to supporting” policies that allow “dig-once” broadband deployment work in conjunction with other transportation infrastructure projects. Buttigieg was responding to a question from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., during Thursday's Commerce Committee confirmation hearing. Lead committee Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi and others more generally noted DOT’s role in any infrastructure proposals that President Joe Biden decides to send to Congress. Lead Communications Subcommittee Republican John Thune of South Dakota was among those raising concerns about how Biden proposes to pay for any new infrastructure funding.
China will “sanction” 28 former Trump administration officials, including ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, for “their selfish political interests and prejudice and hatred against China,” said the Foreign Affairs Ministry Wednesday, hours before Joe Biden took the oath of office to become the 46th U.S. president. It also listed former National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, but not former President Donald Trump. The dignitaries are “prohibited” from entering China, Hong Kong and Macao, “and companies and institutions associated with them are also restricted from doing business with China,” said the ministry. It blasted the officials for having “executed a series of crazy moves which have gravely interfered in China's internal affairs, undermined China's interests, offended the Chinese people, and seriously disrupted China-U.S. relations.” Efforts to reach the officials for comment were unsuccessful.
Nearly 200 companies, associations and individuals asked Congress and President-elect Joe Biden to let Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals participants remain in the U.S. “As our country looks to the future and we consider how to build a more prosperous, just, and fair nation, we urge both Congress and the new administration to make clear their commitment to reforming our nation’s outdated, broken immigration system,” they said Tuesday: “We especially call on Congress to come together and quickly provide a pathway to citizenship that would allow Dreamers to stay in the U.S. and become fully integrated.” Apple, Best Buy, Facebook, Google, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Target, Verizon and Walmart signed, with BSA|The Software Alliance, the Information Technology Industry Council, the National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association.