House FCC Hearing Delayed Until Senate OK's Noms: Doyle

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., told us he still intends to wait (see 2106300077) to hold an FCC oversight hearing until after the Senate confirms Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Democratic commission nominee Gigi Sohn, amid renewed pressure from House Commerce Committee GOP leaders. Panel ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Communications ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio, argue it has “been over one year” since commissioners testified before the subcommittee. The most recent hearing was in September 2020 (see 2009170068).

“Since then, Congress provided over $10 billion to" the FCC "to keep Americans connected during the COVID-19 pandemic,” McMorris Rodgers and Latta said in a letter to Doyle and committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., released Friday. “We have no information about how these programs are being implemented or if they are effective. Despite this lack of information, Democrats provided an additional $25 billion to the FCC through their partisan American Rescue Plan and infrastructure packages and want to give the agency more” via the Build Back Better Act budget reconciliation package (HR-5376), which the House passed Friday (see 2111190042). The bill includes $300 million for the FCC's Emergency Connectivity Fund.

“This is an unprecedented influx of funding for the FCC and not a responsible way to spend taxpayer dollars,” the Republicans said. “We are concerned about the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse that may occur without proper oversight.” They’re “pleased” President Joe Biden nominated Rosenworcel and Sohn last month, but it’s “now even more crucial for” House Communications “to invite them to testify.” The GOP leaders previously sought an oversight hearing (see 2105250082). Senate Commerce Committee Republicans seek similar.

“It just makes sense to me” to wait until the Senate confirms Rosenworcel and Sohn, Doyle told us last week, before Republicans sent the new letter. “We’re close to getting a full complement” since the Senate “is starting to move” on the nominees. Senate Commerce leaders are eyeing a potential vote on Rosenworcel at a likely Dec. 1 executive session that would precede a hearing for Sohn and NTIA administrator nominee Alan Davidson (see 2111170071). “It’s worth waiting a little bit longer and see if we can get a full commission,” Doyle said. “As soon as we do,” House Communications “will have them up there in short order.” Senate Democrats are pressing to reconfirm Rosenworcel before year-end to forestall a shift to a 2-1 Republican FCC if she’s forced to leave in January; GOP concerns about Sohn could delay her (see 2110260076).

Rosenworcel told Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and 18 other Democrats earlier this month she agrees that better collaboration between the FCC and the departments of Agriculture and Housing and Urban Development is needed to maximize awareness of Lifeline and improve broadband data. The Democrats urged on Rosenworcel, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in June (see 2106030085).

The agencies have “collaborated on several efforts to increase Lifeline enrollment among federally subsidized renters and homeowners and to share relevant data,” Rosenworcel, Fudge and Vilsack said in letters released Friday. “Through this collaboration, we established promising practices for conducting outreach and introducing the Lifeline program to households across our federally subsidized housing programs.” They cited FCC work to improve broadband coverage data maps, which will help other agencies “collaborate with each other to better target resources to low-income communities and expand broadband access.”