Little Tech Talk in Early House Commerce Reconciliation Markup

Telecom and consumer protection language in the House Commerce Committee’s portion of the Build Back Better Act budget reconciliation package got limited attention Monday, the first day of the committee’s markup. Democratic leaders highlighted potential benefits, including the proposed $10 billion for next-generation 911 tech upgrades, $4 billion for the FCC emergency connectivity fund and $1 billion to fund a new FTC privacy bureau. Some GOP leaders criticized the additional ECF money, as expected (see 2109100063).

Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., hailed the package for including “long overdue investments” in consumer protection and connectivity. The NG-911 money is “overdue and very necessary” given its potential, he said. The “sooner we make those investments, the more lives will be saved.” The additional $4 billion for ECF is needed given the FCC’s announcement last month that it had received more than $5.1 billion in funding requests during the first application window (see 2108250032), Doyle said.

Communications ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio, said he’s “disappointed” in Commerce Democrats’ overall proposal. He singled out the NG-911 money and authorization for an FCC auction of spectrum on the 3.1-3.45 GHz band as examples of trying to shoehorn “historically bipartisan” priorities into an otherwise partisan measure. The ECF money, meanwhile, is essentially $4 billion “to incentivize schools to stay closed and appease teachers’ unions” while “adding to our national debt,” he said.

Others barely mentioned the ECF money. Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., made passing references. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, suggested the overall bill has the potential to “devastate” U.S. telecom companies. Several Democrats noted misgivings with some sections of the package. Rep. Kurt Schrader of Oregon was the only one to formally threaten to vote against it.

Commerce ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington vowed generally that she and other Republicans would “do whatever it takes for as long as it takes” to expose perceived flaws in the committee’s reconciliation proposal. Capitol Hill aides suggested the ECF funds, the proposed new FTC privacy bureau and NG-911 would get more attention during an expected additional markup day Tuesday. Latta is among those expected to file broadband amendments.

No GOP amendments to the package’s telecom and tech sections were available Monday. Democrats sought slight changes via substitute amendments. Modified versions of the NG-911, spectrum and ECF sections would bar entities the FCC designates as national security threats under the 2020 Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (see 2003170004).

The NG-911 substitute, from Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., would extend the timeline to spend the $10 billion through the end of FY 2030. It would halve what a proposed Public Safety NG-911 Advisory Board would receive, to $10 million. The excised $10 million would instead go to fund Commerce Department inspector general oversight aimed at reducing waste, fraud and abuse. The amendment would require NTIA to go through the notice-and-comment process for any rules it writes to implement the additional NG-911 money. The National Association of State 911 Administrators praised the proposal.

The Doyle-led spectrum substitute would eliminate a proposed Future of Telecommunications Council to provide recommendations on how to ensure U.S. leadership in developing standards for 6G and other wireless technologies. The revised ECF language, from Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., would allocate $500,000 for the FCC to do program oversight aimed at reducing waste, fraud and abuse. It would shorten the timeline to spend the full $4 billion by one year to the end of FY 2030.

The FTC substitute, from Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairwoman Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., specifies that the agency can use the proposed $1 billion in part for “hiring and retaining technologists, user experience designers, and other experts” for the new privacy bureau. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., is offering a proposed revision of the section allocating $10 billion for the Commerce Department to monitor and identify critical manufacturing supply chain vulnerabilities.

The House Agriculture Committee voted 27-24 Monday to advance its portion of the reconciliation package sans an amendment from ranking member Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., that would replace the Democrats’ proposed language with the text of its Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act (HR-4374). The committee voted down the amendment Friday 27-24. HR-4374 would allocate $43 billion to Rural Utilities Service programs for FY 2022-29, including $4.5 billion annually for ReConnect (see 2107140061).