Biden Seeks FCC Funding Increase for FY25; FTC, Others See Mixed Results

President Joe Biden is requesting increased funding in FY 2025 for the FCC, Patent Office and the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (see 2303130070). The FY25 requests are lower than FY24's for the FTC, NTIA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, DOJ’s Antitrust Division and some Agriculture Department broadband programs, though in some cases the Biden proposal exceeds ultimate Congressional allocations for FY24. Biden signed off Saturday on the Consolidated Appropriations Act FY24 appropriations minibus package (HR-4366), which included funding cuts for NTIA and other Commerce agencies but a slight increase for DOJ Antitrust (see 2403040083). The Senate voted 75-22 Friday night to approve the package.

Biden is requesting $448 million for the FCC in FY25, a 9% increase from his FY24 request and more than 14% better than what Congress allocated for FY 2023 (see 2212210077). Neither the House nor Senate passed an FY24 funding bill covering the FCC. The Senate Appropriations Committee in July advanced a bill allocating the FCC more than $410.7 million, while the House Appropriations Committee proposed $382 million (see 2307130069). Biden’s FY25 request for the FCC includes $14.3 million for the independent Office of Inspector General, up almost 13% from what he sought for it in FY24. The White House is proposing the FCC receive $139 million in budget authority for its spectrum auctions program, up more than 5% from what Congress allowed for FY23.

The FCC proposes increasing staffing to 1,600 employees, including 60 within OIG. The Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs will see their staffing levels increase to absorb duties inherited from the former International Bureau, the FCC said in its budget justification. The Space Bureau would get 45 employees, 25 more than in FY23. OIA would have 43 staffers, up 21 from FY23. The enforcement Bureau wants 29 more positions, bringing it to 204 employees. The Office of Economics and Analytics proposes adding 24 employees for a total of 134.

The Wireline Bureau wants 18 additional employees, increasing its complement to 173. The Media Bureau proposes 14 more slots, increasing its staff to 135. The Wireless Bureau proposes 11 additional jobs for FY24, increasing its size to 158. The Consumer Bureau forecasts hiring 11 more staff, increasing its size to 118. The Office of General Counsel proposes adding 10 jobs, which would bring it to 76. The Public Safety Bureau wants to increase employees to 115, six more than in FY23. The FCC wants to increase the Office of Administrative Law Judges from three employees to four.

Biden's FY25 proposal emphasized the administration's continued push for $6 billion in stopgap affordable connectivity program funding. Biden first sought that money in an October supplemental request to keep ACP running through FY24 (see 2310250075). Biden mentioned ACP in his State of the Union speech last week, which program supporters cited as bolstering their push for Congress to allocate the additional money (see 2403080034). The FCC said it “looks forward to working with Congress to extend this program and ensure that it continues to provide critical benefits to millions.” The White House also said it will press Congress on the matter. House Commerce ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., praised Biden for his “proposal to fully fund” ACP.

Other Agencies

Biden requested $535 million for the FTC, down 9% from FY24 but 24% more than it received in FY23. Senate Appropriations is proposing $450 million for the FTC for FY24, while the House Appropriations figure is $376.5 million. FTC Chair Lina Khan emphasized the proposed increase over FY23 in a letter to Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack, R-Ark.

The FTC said it needs an additional $30.4 million for a 5.2% increase in pay for existing staff. In addition, the agency seeks another $13 million for 55 new full-time hires, including 20 additional Competition Bureau employees and 10 Consumer Protection Bureau staff. The FTC is seeking an increase of $15.2 million for competition-related expert witnesses, which nearly matches a similar expert witness request for FY24. It’s common for defendants to outspend the agency by a “significant amount on expert support,” the FTC said: The additional funding will drive extensive and costly rebuttal analysis.

Biden proposed NTIA funding at $65 million, more than 40% less than what the agency sought for FY24 but 14% better than the $57 million Congress enacted as part of the minibus. PTO would get $4.55 billion, a more than 8% increase from Biden’s FY24 request and what Congress appropriated. NIST would receive slightly less than $1.5 billion, 8% less than the White House proposed last year but more than 2% more than what Congress appropriated. BIS would get almost $233.4 million, almost level with Biden’s FY24 request but almost 17% more than Congress appropriated.

DOJ Antitrust would receive $288 million. That’s an 11% drop from the Biden administration's FY24 request but a more than 23% increase from Congress’ minibus allocation. The USDA Rural Utilities Service’s ReConnect program would get $112.4 million, down almost 72% from Biden’s FY24 ask but nearly 12% up from the minibus. RUS’ Community Connect Grant Program would receive $35 million, level with the Biden FY24 ask but 75% more than what Congress allocated.

Biden is proposing $595 million in advance FY 2027 funding for CPB, a 3% increase from his FY24 request and 11% more than Congress allocated as part of the FY23 omnibus. House Appropriations proposed eliminating CPB’s advance funding for FY 2026 in its FY24 legislation (see 2307130069). Senate Appropriations leaders have vowed to keep that money flowing and the panel proposed maintaining CPB’s advance funding for FY26 at $535 million (see 2307270063). Biden proposes $60 million in FY25 for CPB system interconnection and infrastructure and $31 million for the Education Department’s Ready to Learn educational programming grant program.

America’s Public Television Stations CEO Patrick Butler praised Biden for increasing CPB’s funding for FY27. It “would enhance the essential services local public television stations provide in life-saving public safety communications, free educational services for teachers, families and students, and community-based, trusted information on local history, culture and public affairs,” Butler said: “This investment would help ensure that all Americans ... have free access to these essential services and content, both over-the-air and on a wide variety of digital platforms.”