Communications & Technology

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, issued the following statements after the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the FCC’s net neutrality rules last Thursday: “In November, the American people voted to reject Democrats’ heavy-handed regulatory agenda. Now, the courts are finding that the Biden-Harris Administration’s net neutrality rules were unlawful in the first place,”   said Chairman Guthrie .  “The FCC’s repeal of previous regulations under President Trump in 2017 led to faster, more reliable, and more affordable broadband access for Americans. Republicans are ready to move on from misguided, burdensome approaches to internet regulation and support innovations leading to increased speeds and investment. I am thrilled by this decision, which is a precursor to many more pro-innovation developments still to come.” “For too long, the Biden-Harris Administration’s overreaching net neutrality rules discouraged innovation and investment in broadband expansion,”  said  Chairman Hudson.   “We will work with President Donald Trump to ensure faster, more reliable, and more affordable internet access for all Americans. The court’s decision to strike down these Obama-era regulations is good news for the American people.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, announced the Committee’s Subcommittee Chief Counsels for the 119th Congress: Subcommittee on Communications and Technology  Chief Counsel - Kate Harper Kate O’Connor Harper will serve as Chief Counsel for the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, where she has served for the past 5 years. Kate previously served as the Chief of Staff for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, where she worked on legislative and communications policy focused on spectrum and broadband issues. She also worked in NTIA’s Office of Congressional Affairs and engaged with Congress, state government officials, and other federal agencies to advance the Administration’s legislative initiatives on broadband and 5G. Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Chief Counsel - Giulia Leganski Giulia Leganski will serve as Chief Counsel for the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. Prior to this role, Giulia served as a Professional Staff Member for the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, handling issues related to Big Tech, Section 230, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, media, and public safety. Previously, Giulia worked as a Professional Staff Member for the House Small Business Committee, as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, and in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.  Subcommittee on Energy  Chief Counsel - Mary K. Martin Mary K. Martin will serve as Chief Counsel for the Subcommittee on Energy. Prior to her years at Energy and Commerce, Mary previously served as policy counsel and committee executive to the Environment, Technology & Regulatory Affairs Division at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Before joining the Chamber, Mary spent 10 years as an attorney in private practice litigating complex commercial disputes, including environmental contamination, toxic tort, breach of contract, and insurance coverage matters. Most recently, Mary served as Of Counsel at Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington, D.C.  Subcommittee on Environment  Chief Counsel - Jake Tyner  Jake Tyner will serve as Chief Counsel for the Subcommittee on Environment. Jake has extensive Capitol Hill experience, most recently serving as General Counsel for Senator Dan Sullivan. In this role, Jake led the Senator’s efforts on issues related to energy, then environment, natural resources, and permitting and regulatory reform. Prior to joining Senator Sullivan’s office, Jake worked for Congressman David McKinley of West Virginia, the ranking member on the Environment & Climate Change Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives and at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Subcommittee on Health Chief Counsel - Jay Gulshen Jay Gulshen will serve as Chief Counsel for the Subcommittee on Health. Jay most recently served as a Senior Health Advisor for the Committee on Energy and Commerce, working on Medicare Part B and Part D. Prior to returning to Energy and Commerce, Jay worked for the Committee on Ways and Means, advising on Medicare Parts A and B, served as the Health Policy Advisor for Congressman Buddy Carter, and as a Legislative Associate for the Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee. Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations  Chief Counsel - Brittany Havens Brittany Havens will serve as Chief Counsel for the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Prior to this role, Brittany served as a Senior Oversight Counsel on the Committee on Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee working on a variety of issues, including oversight of federal agencies and programs; oversight of the tax-exempt sector; and legislation related to matters of tax administration. Prior to that, Brittany served in various roles for the Committee on Energy and Commerce between 2012 - 2022, most recently as a Professional Staff Member, conducting oversight on a wide range of topics within the Committee’s jurisdiction. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee staff will work under the direction of Staff Director Megan Jackson, Deputy Staff Director Sophie Khanahmadi, and Chief Counsel Joel Miller.

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) issued the following statement after the House unanimously passed three bills from the Communications and Technology Subcommittee: “Bureaucracy and red tape have stopped too many Americans from accessing high-speed broadband. I am proud of the work done by Members on the Energy and Commerce Committee to advance bipartisan priorities to speed up broadband deployment and close America’s digital divide. I want to thank these members for their commitment to these bills that will promote innovation and support American technological leadership in years to come.”  BACKGROUND: H.R. 3343 , the Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act , sponsored by Reps. August Pfluger and Darren Soto, passed the Committee unanimously.  H.R. 1377 , the Promoting U.S. Wireless Leadership Act , sponsored by Reps. Tim Walberg, Debbie Dingell, and Ann Kuster, passed the Committee unanimously.  H.R. 3293 , the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act , sponsored by Reps. Jeff Duncan and Angie Craig, passed the Committee unanimously. 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) today sent letters to five independent federal agencies urging the Biden-Harris administration appointees to abandon partisan efforts and instead focus remaining efforts on bipartisan, consensus items.   The letters state, “The results of the 2024 presidential election are now apparent and leadership of the [agency] will soon change. As a traditional part of the peaceful transfer of power, the [agency] should immediately stop work on any partisan or controversial item under consideration, consistent with applicable law and regulation.”    Click below to read each agency’s letter:   Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Federal Communications Commission (FCC)   Federal Trade Commission (FTC)   Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)   Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Note: In the letter, Chair Rodgers urges NRC to continue timely implementation of the ADVANCE Act. 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), as well as Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) and Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-CA),  sent letter s to AT&T , Verizon , and Lumen demanding answers and requesting a briefing following breaches of their communications networks by hackers tied to the Chinese government. Reporting from the  Wall Street Journal  revealed the cyberattack was focused on intelligence collection and may have accessed U.S. wiretapping requests.  KEY LETTER QUOTE :   “We are concerned by the recent reports of a massive breach of AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen’s communications networks by Chinese hackers. These types of breaches are increasing in frequency and severity, and there is a growing concern regarding the cybersecurity vulnerabilities embedded in U.S. telecommunications networks. The Committee needs to understand better how this incident occurred and what steps your company is taking to prevent future service disruptions and secure your customers’ data.” BACKGROUND :   On October 5th,  The Wall Street Journal  reported U.S. broadband providers were breached by a Chinese government-tied hacker organization. The attack appears to be geared towards intelligence collection, and Chinese hackers potentially accessed vulnerable information, including court-authorized network wiretapping requests and internet traffic. AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen are among the U.S. broadband providers breached. According to the  Wall Street Journal , “The widespread compromise is considered a potentially catastrophic security breach and was carried out by a sophisticated Chinese hacking group dubbed Salt Typhoon.” CLICK HERE to read the letter to AT&T. CLICK HERE to read the letter to Verizon. CLICK HERE to read the letter to Lumen.

Soros-linked fund to acquire more than 200 local radio stations weeks before election Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) led 40 of her Republican colleagues in demanding answers from the Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding her recent decision to fast-track a media deal allowing the Fund for Policy Reform, a group aligned with Democratic mega-donor George Soros, to buy over 200 radio stations just weeks before the 2024 election. With a party line vote of 3-2, the decision at the Commission level by the Democratic members of the FCC to temporarily waive the required national security review and allow excessive foreign ownership of American radio stations is deeply disturbing. KEY LETTER EXCERPT: “It is highly concerning that the FCC did not follow regular order for a transaction of this magnitude. Licensees and investors need certainty that the FCC will follow its rules and procedures when approving transactions so that the broadcast industry can have the resources it needs to continue serving the public.”  BACKGROUND: Audacy, Inc., a radio broadcasting group, which owns more than 200 radio-station licenses, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.  Audacy’s filings revealed that a George Soros-backed group known as the Fund for Policy Reform had acquired at least 40 percent of Audacy’s debt.   Audacy estimated that, upon emerging from bankruptcy, 25 percent or more of its stock would be indirectly foreign owned, which triggers FCC review.   This review process requires national security agencies to review the transaction and offer any policy or national security concerns.   On September 30, 2024, the FCC released an Order granting a temporary waiver of this review process, delaying a national security review until after the bankruptcy process is complete and allowing foreign control of a significant number of radio stations across the entire United States, weeks before a national election. CLICK HERE to read Breitbart's exclusive coverage. CLICK HERE to read the full letter.