House Commerce Republicans Seek FCC Oversight Hearing

House Commerce Committee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Communications Subcommittee ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio, pressed committee Democrats Tuesday to set an FCC oversight hearing on implementation of the $7.17 Emergency Connectivity Fund and $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit. EBB and ECF “could be subject to waste, fraud, and abuse,” Latta and Rodgers said in a letter including to Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J. “The Commission still is without a permanent Chair and short-handed with only four commissioners.” The GOP leaders want the committee hearing to examine what they view as acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s “lack” of “commitment to free speech.” They cited the letter Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney, both D-Calif., sent providers in February asking them to justify carrying Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network (see 2102220068). Rosenworcel “ignored” Commerce Republicans’ “request that she denounce efforts of these Federal government officials to silence speech,” Latta and Rodgers said. Commerce Democrats and the FCC didn’t comment. The committee's last FCC oversight hearing was in September (see 2009170068).