President Joe Biden signed the Chips and Science Act into law Tuesday, calling it a “once in a generation” investment that will help address the supply chain shortage, inflation, national security, jobs and climate change. He spoke for about 20 minutes before signing HR-4346 during a ceremony in the Rose Garden with dozens of congressional, administrative and industry attendees (see 2207280060 and 2208030052)
Karl Herchenroeder
Karl Herchenroeder, Associate Editor, is a technology policy journalist for publications including Communications Daily. Born in Rockville, Maryland, he joined the Warren Communications News staff in 2018. He began his journalism career in 2012 at the Aspen Times in Aspen, Colorado, where he covered city government. After that, he covered the nuclear industry for ExchangeMonitor in Washington. You can follow Herchenroeder on Twitter: @karlherk
Bipartisan legislation that would ban Big Tech platforms from self-preferencing products won’t get to the Senate floor, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told us last week. Other Republicans voiced frustration in interviews over comments from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who reportedly told fundraiser attendees last week that the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (S-2992) doesn’t have the 10 Republican votes needed to clear the 60-vote threshold.
The House passed chips legislation Thursday in a 243-187-1 vote, sending the long-awaited science and technology package to President Joe Biden’s desk (see 2207270061). Twenty-four Republicans voted in favor, and zero Democrats voted against.
The Senate has the 60 votes needed to pass legislation that would ban Big Tech platforms from self-preferencing products (see 2206070059), Senate Antitrust Subcommittee Chair Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told us Tuesday. They’re waiting for word from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., about floor time.
The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday advanced two pieces of children’s privacy legislation with overwhelming support, as expected (see 2207210056).
The Senate voted 64-32 Tuesday to invoke cloture on Congress’ amended chips package, setting up a potential vote on final passage in the upper chamber for Wednesday. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was the only Democratic caucus member to vote no. Seventeen Republicans voted in favor.
The health data privacy debate after the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade is focusing on social media platforms. Nearly 20 Republican state attorneys general asked Google Friday not to comply with Democrats’ request to “skew” search results and bury information on crisis pregnancy centers (see 2206290058). The Dobbs v. Jackson decision renewed questions about whether police should be able to access health data when prosecuting or blocking access to reproductive health services.
The Senate Commerce Committee appears to have the bipartisan support needed to advance two pieces of children’s privacy legislation at markup Wednesday (see 2207140051), Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and bill sponsors told us Thursday.
The House Commerce Committee voted 53-2 Wednesday to advance bipartisan, bicameral privacy legislation to the floor (see 2207190040). Some California Democrats criticized the strength of the bill, saying they may not support the measure on the floor. Some questioned whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will bring the legislation up.
The Senate planned to vote Tuesday evening on moving forward with a chips package that has broad bipartisan support. Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, helped negotiate with Republicans, and House leadership and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo remained in close contact with negotiators, members of Congress said.