Communications & Technology

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, issued the following statement after President Trump delayed enforcement of the TikTok divestiture requirement in response to progress towards a deal: “We are glad to hear about significant progress towards separating TikTok from entities connected to the Chinese Communist Party. While there are remaining details that must be worked out, any deal must finally end China’s ability to surveil and potentially manipulate the American people through this app,” said Chairmen Guthrie, Bilirakis, and Hudson. “Our Committee will remain vigilant in protecting our national security and standing up for American interests across the board.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing titled Fixing Biden’s Broadband Blunder . “I hope this new Congress and the urgency of this moment will inspire bipartisan cooperation on this effort. We must do everything we can to remove these unnecessary barriers to deployment,” said Chairman Hudson. “Unserved Americans have waited too long for the promise of connectivity. But now is the moment to close the digital divide once and for all.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from yesterday's hearing: Representative Neal Dunn (FL-02): “We spent 65 billion in the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act, the IIJA, to support broadband activities, and we have nothing to show for it. We have a poster that shows how much money was put into a number of these different programs – not all of them, just some of the bigger ones. In fact, they’re over 130 programs in total.” Representative Buddy Carter (GA-01): “Let’s face it, the past 4 years under the Biden Harris administration has been nothing short of a disaster for broadband deployment and expansion to America, and it’s because of the permitting process. Permitting delays have, have resulted in And, and, and the can and halting the construction of Bo band infrastructure, even in my own district of, of Georgia in the first congressional district.” Representative Erin Houchin (IN-09): “Back in the Indiana State Senate, I worked on broadband legislation trying to get access to unserved areas. As noted in some of your testimonies, we have seen overbuilding technologies that are picking winners and losers in some of these funding opportunities. One of the things that I wanted to do is make sure that any broadband that was deployed went to areas that had zero access first and then we would build to uh toward higher speeds.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Fixing Biden's Broadband Blunder. Subcommittee Chairman Hudson's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Closing the digital divide is a top priority for this Committee. Too many Americans, particularly those in rural America, like so many places in my home state of North Carolina, lack access to reliable high-speed broadband. With so much of everyday life requiring an internet connection, this is a vital need. “Since 2020, Congress has provided billions of dollars to connect unserved Americans. The most significant effort is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or I-I-J-A. This massive bill included the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). “It has been over 3 years since the IIJA became law, and we are still waiting for the first home to be connected using these funds. I think we should understand how this happened.  “First, FCC maps that Biden-FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel said would be ready in “months” instead took much longer to develop.  “Then, the Biden-Harris Administration saddled the BEAD program with regulations unrelated to broadband to appease left-wing interest groups.  “These included technology preferences, burdensome labor rules, and climate change requirements, to name a few.  “Worse, the Biden Administration flagrantly ignored the law by forcing states to regulate broadband rates before NTIA would approve their proposals, even though the law explicitly prohibits rate regulation. “These actions did nothing to deploy broadband but instead created confusion while making the program less attractive to providers and deployment more expensive.  “Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are committed to fixing these blunders so that every American has access to broadband as quickly as possible.  “That’s why today, I—along with many Republicans on this Committee—introduced the SPEED for BEAD Act.  “This bill would eliminate the burdensome Biden regulations so that we can get money out the door and shovels into the ground as soon as possible.  “Specifically, this bill would eliminate the unnecessary and expensive regulations NTIA imposed, further clarify that rate regulation by NTIA or any other entity is prohibited, ensure that the program is run on a technology-neutral basis, and more efficiently use tax dollars by ensuring that awards to providers are cost effective and that funds are only used for deployment.  “These changes to the BEAD program can be implemented quickly, provide certainty to the states, and not hinder the progress that states have already made.  “And I’m excited to hear that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, just a few minutes ago, announced that he’s launching a review of the BEAD program to cut red tape, eliminate waste, and make sure Americans get connected faster. I’m thrilled to have him join me in this effort.  “Reforming BEAD is one important step to ensuring every American has broadband, but it is not enough. We also need to reform the permitting process for broadband projects. If we do not reform this process, all of this money will get tied up in burdensome permitting reviews resulting in more unnecessary delays.  “For the past three Congresses, Energy and Commerce Republicans have introduced legislation to streamline the broadband permitting process.  “We have proposed codifying existing shot clocks to provide predictability in state and local permit reviews, exempting previously disturbed lands from duplicative and burdensome environmental and historic preservation reviews, and instilling transparency and urgency in permitting on federal lands. “Some of these bills had bipartisan support and passed the House last Congress.  “Unfortunately, Democrats refused to work with us on the most meaningful reforms, which were included in Representative Carter’s American Broadband Deployment Act.  “I hope this new Congress and the urgency of this moment will inspire bipartisan cooperation on this effort. We must do everything we can to remove these unnecessary barriers to deployment. “Unserved Americans have waited too long for the promise of connectivity.  “But now is the moment to close the digital divide once and for all.  “Today’s hearing is an opportunity to hear from stakeholders about how to address the challenges that could stop that from happening. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.  “I now yield five minutes to my colleague, Ranking Member Doris Matsui, for her opening statement.” ###

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.