Communications & Technology

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, delivered the following opening statement at today’s markup of 28 bills to streamline broadband permitting. Subcommittee Chairman Hudson’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:  “Good morning, and welcome to today’s subcommittee markup of legislation to streamline broadband permitting. We are considering 28 bills that reduce or eliminate barriers to broadband deployment so we can finally close the digital divide.  “For years, this subcommittee has discussed the importance of ensuring that every American has access to reliable, high-speed broadband. Work, education—even healthcare and checking in on loved ones—requires a broadband connection. Yet too many Americans still lack access to this essential service. “Reaching the final unserved and underserved Americans requires funding, but it also requires permitting reform. Too often, broadband deployment is prevented or delayed because of burdensome, opaque and expensive permitting processes that exist at every level of government—federal, state, and local. These unnecessary obstacles not only increase costs for deployment, but they also delay progress for communities that have already waited far too long. “We need to address these challenges if we hope to close the digital divide once and for all. The legislation we are marking up today does just that. First, we streamline the state and local permitting process by implementing clear timelines, or ‘shot clocks,’ on application reviews and capping excessive fees. Next, we exempt certain projects—mostly those on previously disturbed lands—from having to perform cumbersome and duplicative environmental and historic preservation reviews. Finally, we reduce barriers to deployment on federal lands and increase coordination among different federal agencies. Together, these reforms will add much-needed certainty, predictability, and accountability to the broadband permitting process and help expedite deployment. “Many of these ideas are not new. In fact, some have already been enacted by the Federal Communications Commission. Under then-Chairman Ajit Pai, the FCC reformed state and local permitting by implementing shot clocks on reviews, capping fees, and removing other barriers to deployment. These reforms accelerated the rollout of 5G infrastructure and showed how streamlining this process can make a real difference. Congress needs to codify and build on these reforms so they last. “There is no better time than now to enact these bills. We are on the verge of closing the digital divide. After four years of delays caused by the Biden-Harris Administration, deployment will soon begin through the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (or BEAD) program. But for this program to succeed, permitting reform is essential. Otherwise, all this money will be tied up in unnecessary reviews and bureaucratic delays. We cannot let the millions of unserved and underserved Americans continue waiting for the connectivity they need simply because we failed to modernize outdated rules. “Five of the bills we are marking up today are bipartisan. I am pleased that we have found common ground on these reforms. I hope we can continue working together to make the remaining bills bipartisan as well. Closing the digital divide has always been a shared goal of this subcommittee, regardless of which party holds the gavel. We should not allow red tape and outdated bureaucracy stand between Americans and the connectivity they need to work, learn, innovate, and thrive. “I want to thank my colleagues for their continued commitment to this issue and for their work developing these proposals. I look forward to moving these bills through committee and onto the floor so we can deliver results for the American people.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a markup of several broadband permitting bills.  “There is no better time than now to enact these bills. We are on the verge of closing the digital divide. After four years of delays caused by the Biden-Harris Administration, deployment will soon begin through the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (or BEAD) program , ”   said Chairman Hudson.   “But for this program to succeed, permitting reform is essential. Otherwise, all this money will be tied up in unnecessary reviews and bureaucratic delays. We cannot let the millions of unserved and underserved Americans continue waiting for the connectivity they need simply because we failed to modernize outdated rules.” Legislative Vote Summary: H.R. 1343 , Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee, by a voice vote. H.R. 1588 , Facilitating DIGITAL Applications Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee, by a voice vote. H.R. 1665 , DIGITAL Applications Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee, by a voice vote. H.R. 1681 , Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee, by a voice vote. H.R. 1731 , Standard FEES Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee, by a voice vote.  H.R. 6046 , the Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act, was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a voice vote. H.R. 2289 , Proportional Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act , was forwarded, as amended, to the Full Committee by a roll call vote of 16 Yeas to 12 Nays. NOTE:  21 bills that had been noticed were included in an amendment to H.R. 2289, the Proportional Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act. Watch the full markup  here .  Below are key excerpts from today’s markup: Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01) on the Proportional Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act:  “This straightforward reform will remove a key barrier to broadband deployment, especially on federal lands, where reviews can take more than two years. This amendment combines legislation led by every one of my Republican colleagues on this committee, and I would like to thank them for their thoughtful proposals to bring affordable broadband to their communities quickly and ensure that taxpayer dollars are not wasted on more red tape.”  Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) on the Federal Broadcast Deployment Tracking Act:   “At the last hearing we had on this issue, we heard several detailed examples from providers across telecommunications spectrum outlining the urgent need for this legislation. [...] Passing the federal broadband deployment tracking act would be a crucial step towards fixing this process and closing the digital divide, creating a more connected future for all Americans.” Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09) on the CABLE Competition Act:   “The bottom line is competition lowers prices and certainly attracts capital. The CABLE Competition Act delivers both, allowing consumers to keep the contract, cut the delays and delivering families better service at a better price.”  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings and two Subcommittee Markups. Read more below. SUBCOMMITTEE MARKUP: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a markup of 28 bills to streamline broadband permitting. DATE: Tuesday, November 18, 2025  TIME: 10:15 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is holding a hearing to examine the risks and benefits of AI chatbots. DATE: Tuesday, November 18, 2025  TIME: 2:00 PM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE MARKUP: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy will hold a markup of eight bills to reform appliance and building policies. DATE: Wednesday, November 19, 2025  TIME: 10:15 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade is holding a hearing to examine time, travel, and tourism. DATE: Thursday, November 20, 2025  TIME: 10:00 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging the administration to quickly remove burdensome regulations that have stopped the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program from connecting any American to reliable broadband. KEY EXCERPT: “The Biden administration added unnecessary and burdensome requirements that made participation in the program more expensive and less attractive to broadband providers. These include labor and climate change requirements, as well as rate regulation of low-cost broadband plans that were unlawfully imposed.  “To address these issues, we introduced the Streamlining Program Efficiency and Expanding Deployment (SPEED) for BEAD Act, which outlines necessary reforms to BEAD. We appreciate that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick is undertaking a review of the program and urge any reforms to be enacted as soon as possible.” BACKGROUND: On March 5, 2025,  Congressman Hudson introduced  the SPEED for BEAD Act to remove harmful regulations that have prevented the $42 billion program from laying even a single inch of fiber to support rural Americans. Also on March 5, 2025, the Committee on Energy and Commerce  held a hearing  to discuss the BEAD program titled  Fixing Biden’s Broadband Blunder. CLICK HERE to read the full letter. ###

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.