Republican FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty voiced support Monday for Congress’ narrow passage last week of the 2025 Rescissions Act (HR-4), which includes a clawback of $1.1 billion in advance CPB funding for FY 2026 and FY 2027 (see 2507170045). Commissioner Anna Gomez opposes the rescissions, as do congressional Democrats (see 2507180048).

The Senate voted 50-34 Thursday to invoke cloture on NTIA administrator nominee Arielle Roth, setting the stage for her likely confirmation next week. The vote divided largely along party lines, with Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania the only Democrat to back Roth, as expected (see 2507160076). All Senate Commerce Democrats except Fetterman voted against advancing Roth in April amid frustrations about the Trump administration's plan for administering NTIA’s $42.5 billion BEAD program (see 2504090037). President Donald Trump nominated Roth in February (see 2502040056).

The House approved the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act (HR-1709) Monday night by a lopsided 360-10 margin. HR-1709 would require NTIA to report on the cybersecurity of wireless networks and vulnerabilities to cyberattacks and adversaries' surveillance. The chamber approved six other telecom bills earlier in the day (see 2507140053), including the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act (HR-1618).

The House passed the Promoting U.S. Wireless Leadership Act (HR-1765) Monday on a voice vote (see 2507140053). The chamber approved the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act (HR-1709) later that night 360-10 (see 2507150073).

The House Commerce Committee on Tuesday approved a reshuffle of GOP leaders that left Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina still chairman of the Communications Subcommittee and Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida retaining the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee gavel (see 2507030054).

National Religious Broadcasters CEO Troy Miller will lobby on Capitol Hill this week for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-979/S-315), the group said Monday. The bill would require the Department of Transportation to mandate that future automobiles include AM radio technology, mostly affecting electric vehicles. House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., expects the Commerce Committee to vote to advance HR-979 before Congress’ August recess (see 2507020062). The Senate Commerce Committee advanced a revised version of S-315 in February with the addition of a 10-year sunset for the measure, which led Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., to drop his previous opposition (see 2502100072).

The House passed the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act (HR-1618) and five other Commerce Committee-cleared telecom bills Monday on voice votes. The others: the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (HR-1455), Communications Security Act (HR-1717), Promoting U.S. Wireless Leadership Act (HR-1765), NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act (HR-1766) and Open Radio Access Networks Outreach Act (HR-2037). The chamber was also expected to vote as soon as Monday night on the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act (HR-1709).

The House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s FY 2026 budget bill, released Monday, would allocate $47 million to NTIA, including $1 million for facilities management and construction. That mirrors President Donald Trump's request in June (see 2506020056) and is 20% less than NTIA got for FY 2024 and FY 2025 (see 2403040083). House Appropriations CJS calls for giving the National Institute of Standards and Technology $1.28 billion, an 11% increase from FY24 and FY25, and the Patent Office slightly less than $5 billion, 10% above its previous allotment. CJS proposes $310 million for the DOJ Antitrust Division. The subpanel plans to mark up its bill at noon Tuesday in 2362-B Rayburn.

Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., are urging Republican FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty to “insist that the FCC conduct” its review of Skydance’s proposed $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global “with the utmost transparency, including holding a full Commission vote on any order to approve the merger.” Some observers believe Paramount recently agreed to a $16 million settlement of President Donald Trump's lawsuit against CBS, which challenged its editing of a 60 Minutes interview last October with former Vice President Kamala Harris during the election, to ease the path to FCC approval of the deal. Paramount has refuted those claims (see 2507020053).

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, postponed the panel’s Thursday markup of its FY 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee funding bill after Democrats successfully attached an amendment that would bar using federal money to relocate the FBI’s headquarters to anywhere other than the previously approved location in Greenbelt, Maryland. Senate Appropriations initially voted 21-6 to advance the bill, which will include annual funding for NTIA and other Commerce Department agencies. The total later narrowed after the panel voted 15-14 to attach the FBI amendment. Collins then said she was calling a “long recess” that postponed action on the measure.