Hatch, Schuster Won't Seek Re-Election

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., separately announced Tuesday their plans to retire at the end of this Congress. Hatch was the Senate Judiciary Committee’s top Republican from 1995 to 2005, and chairman for most of that period. He remained active on a range of tech policy issues, including on antitrust, IP and privacy (see 1702160055). Hatch played an important role last year in convincing Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to end her hold on now-DOJ Antitrust Division head Makan Delrahim’s nomination (see 1709250025). Hatch is expected to co-lead the filing a Senate companion to the Music Modernization Act (HR-4706) this month (see 1712290025). Hatch is “an American patriot and the gold standard for public service,” said NAB President Gordon Smith in a statement. “Few have achieved more.” Hatch’s “impact on our nation will extend far beyond his retirement at the end of this year” given his support for “policies to promote American innovation,” said TechNet CEO Linda Moore in a statement. Shuster announced his retirement plans in a Washington Examiner interview. Shuster is expected to be a leading figure in the House’s handling of President Donald Trump’s anticipated infrastructure legislative package (see 1704060067). He also was a main sponsor of FAA reauthorization legislation that would include drone regulatory language (see 1706220057).