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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a hearing titled Examining Solutions to Expedite Broadband Permitting . “Closing the digital divide has long been a bipartisan goal. But after four years and $42 billion, not a single home has been connected through BEAD,” said Chairman Hudson. “My priority is to fix this program, cut red tape, and speed deployment so families in North Carolina and across America can finally get the broadband they deserve. Money alone will not solve this problem. We must streamline the permitting process and remove unnecessary delays so communities can get connected faster.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Subcommittee Vice Chairman Rick Allen (GA-12): “How does streamlining broadband permitting help us to stay ahead of global competitors?” Mr. Spalter: “It tries to even the playing field. Let’s be clear about what’s going on today in the world. In China, in 2025, it is expected that there will be $100 billion of [capital expenditure] invested. [...] Unless and until we have the guile and the focus to be able to move aggressively, to streamline and make more logical our own permitting systems so that we can truncate the time from application to approval, we are going to fall behind in the AI race, and we can’t let that happen.” Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01): “In my home state of Idaho, Cambridge Telephone Company tells me that they have projects that still take somewhere between two and four years to get through permitting. [...] In Midvale, Idaho, MTE communications had a project stall due the need for multiple NEPA studies, and that was simply because they were trying to run a conduit and a fiber cable about 100 feet from a roadway on federal land.” Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL): “We have made leaps and bounds in the technology since the days of old AOL dial tone for internet connection. We’ve got 5G. We’ve got so many advances, but our permitting process is still stuck in the old, AOL dial tone kind of mentality. We’re so stuck in that, and we have to bring our permitting processes up to the modern age and to meet the demands of the time that we’re in right now where we need to get this infrastructure out quickly.” ###

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 Examining Solutions to Expedite Broadband Permitting . Subcommittee Chairman Hudson’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:  “Closing the digital divide has long been a bipartisan priority for this subcommittee. Under both Republican and Democratic majorities, we have discussed and found ways to ensure that every American has access to high-speed broadband. Today, we have the opportunity to achieve this goal with the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.   “I think members of both parties would agree that BEAD has not gone as we had hoped. After almost four years, not a single home has been connected. Some in my party want to completely scrap BEAD and start over because of how the previous Administration ran the program. But that is not my view. My goal has been to fix the program so that we can deploy broadband quickly. The name of my bill, the SPEED for BEAD Act, reflects this.    “I am pleased that many of my proposed reforms have been adopted by the Trump Administration and that they are working quickly to review and approve state proposals.    “Still, money alone will not close the digital divide. Burdensome, opaque, and expensive permitting reviews that exist at every level of government continue to prevent or delay deployment. I have heard this from broadband providers across the country.   “In my home state of North Carolina, one provider has waited over a year for the Department of the Interior to review its application to build on federal land—even though the agency is required to provide a response within 270 days.    “Another North Carolina provider’s project was delayed because it has to do a historic preservation review despite the fact that it was on previously disturbed terrain that likely already had a review. And this is in addition to lengthy state and local application reviews that can include excessive costs unrelated to approving the permit.    “Unless we streamline the permitting process, all of the money we have dedicated to deployment will be tied up in burdensome reviews resulting in more unnecessary delays, forcing millions of Americans to continue to wait for connectivity.   “Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are committed to reforming this process. For the past three Congresses, we have introduced a package of bills to address this problem. Each of these bills tackles an obstacle that has either prevented, delayed, or complicated deployment, with the goal of instilling certainty, predictability, and savings into this process.  “For example, my RAPID Act would exempt small cell wireless antennas from burdensome and expensive environmental and historic preservation reviews, as well as reform the Tribal notification process to expedite wireless broadband deployment. I look forward to the discussion today to find the best path forward together.  “Some of these bills passed the House last Congress with bipartisan support. I hope we can pass those bills, as well as the others, into law this Congress. Enacting this package will make deploying broadband cheaper, more predictable, and less burdensome, ultimately connecting more Americans.  “I want to acknowledge our partners at the Federal Communications Commission for their work on this issue. Under then-Chairman Ajit Pai, the FCC used its authorities to remove state and local obstacles to deployment, implement shot clocks, and cap fees where they can. That work is continuing under Chairman Brendan Carr, as they will seek comment later this month on additional proposals. We are grateful for this work and, through these bills, hope to codify and build on what they have done.  “I hope that instead of playing the blame game today, we can focus on making sure every American has access to the broadband service that is essential to life in the 21st Century. We have an esteemed panel of witnesses with us today, all of whom have experience with the challenges of deploying broadband. I look forward to hearing from them and I look forward to this discussion.”  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding four Subcommittee Hearings and one Full Committee Markup. Read more below. SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing to discuss building and appliance policies that could strengthen consumer choice, lower costs for American families, and make our electric grid more reliable. DATE: Tuesday, September 16, 2025  TIME: 10:15 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment is holding a hearing to discuss permitting reform under the Clean Air Act. DATE: Tuesday, September 16, 2025  TIME: 2:00 PM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP: The Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a markup of seven bills. DATE: Wednesday, September 17, 2025  TIME: 10:00 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Heath is holding a hearing to discuss legislation that improves seniors’ access to cutting-edge health innovation. DATE: Thursday, September 18, 2025  TIME: 9:30 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding a hearing to discuss permitting reform for enhanced connectivity. DATE: Thursday, September 18, 2025  TIME: 2:00 PM 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, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, announced a hearing titled Examining Solutions to Expedite Broadband Permitting . “For far too long, cumbersome and expensive permitting regulations at every level of government have stood in the way of connectivity for millions of Americans,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson . “Streamlining the broadband permitting process will help expedite deployment, especially in our nation’s most underserved and rural areas. We look forward to discussing different legislative proposals that will help accomplish this goal so that every American has the opportunity to take part in the digital economy through access to fast, reliable, and secure broadband.”   Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled Examining Solutions to Expedite Broadband Permitting. WHAT: Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing to discuss permitting reform for enhanced connectivity. DATE: Thursday, September 18, 2025 TIME: 2:00 PM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building This hearing will focus on the following bills: H.R.278 , the “BROADBAND Leadership Act” (Rep. Griffith) H.R.339 , the “Broadband Resiliency and Flexible Investment Act” (Rep. Crenshaw) H.R.1343 , the “Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act” (Reps. Pfluger and Soto) H.R.1541 , the “Wireless Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act” (Rep. Rulli) H.R.1588 , the “Facilitating DIGITAL Applications Act” (Reps. Miller-Meeks and Dingell) H.R.1617 , the “Wireless Resiliency and Flexible Investment Act of 2025” (Rep. Langworthy) H.R.1655 , the “Wildfire Communications Resiliency Act” (Rep. Bentz) H.R.1665 , the “DIGITAL Applications Act” (Reps. Cammack and Matsui) H.R. 1681 , the “Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Act” (Rep. Evans and Craig) H.R.1731 , the “Standard FEES Act” (Reps. Palmer and Ryan) H.R.1836 , the “GRANTED Act of 2025” (Rep. Obernolte) H.R.1975 , the “BEAD FEE Act of 2025” (Rep. Allen) H.R.2289 , the “Proportional Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act” (Rep. Carter) H.R.2298 , the “Reducing Barriers for Broadband on Federal Lands Act of 2025” (Rep. Fulcher) H.R.2817 , the “Coastal Broadband Deployment Act” (Rep. Bilirakis) H.R.2975 , the Broadband Incentives for Communities Act (Rep. Fletcher) H.R.3960 , the “Connecting Communities Post Disasters Act of 2025” (Rep. Dunn) H.R.4211 , the “Brownfields Broadband Deployment Act” (Rep. Walberg) H.R.4927 , the “CABLE Competition Act” (Rep. Houchin) H.R.5147 , the “Winning the International Race for Economic Leadership and Expanding Service to Support Leadership Act” or the “WIRELESS Leadership Act” (Rep. Latta) H.R.5170 , the “Cable Access for Broadband and Local Economic Leadership Act” or the “CABLE Leadership Act” (Rep. Balderson) H.R.5264 , the “Streamlining Permitting to Enable Efficient Deployment for Broadband Infrastructure or the “SPEED for Broadband Infrastructure Act” (Rep. Goldman) H.R.5266 , the “5G Using Previously Granted Rulings that Accelerate Deployment Everywhere Act” or the “5G UPGRADE Act” (Rep. Harshbarger) H.R.5273 , the “Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act” (Rep. Joyce) H.R.5290 , the “Cable Transparency Act” (Rep. Weber) H.R.5311 , the “Connecting and Building Lines for Expedited Expansion Act” or the “CABLE Expansion Act” (Rep. Fedorchak) H.R.5318 , the “Reducing Antiquated Permitting for Infrastructure Deployment Act” (Rep. Hudson) H.R. ____ , the “TRUSTED Broadband Networks Act" (Rep. Fry) H.R. ___ , the “Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act” (Rep. Joyce) This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Noah Jackson with the Committee staff at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Daniel Kelly at Daniel.Kelly@mail.house.gov . ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a hearing titled Public Safety Communications in the United States. “Communications systems are crucial for our public safety organizations. Our first responders need reliable connections to be able to answer calls for help,” said Chairman Hudson. “Our public safety and law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to help us in our times of need, and we must make sure they have the best tools to do their jobs.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12) : “Last year, my district suffered catastrophic damage and loss from hurricane. This was a once in a hundred year hurricane. [...] In the weeks after this hurricane, we had disruptions, as I mentioned, and danger to both personal safety and property. I want to simply reinforce how vital it is that we guarantee our public safety officials can always be assured that their communications will not be disrupted, especially during times of emergency.” Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05):  “I recently met with the Crawford County Sheriff's Department in my district, where they demonstrated how they utilize FirstNet to ensure they have reliable communication to respond to emergencies. And as one of the Republicans and one of the early members who was here when we created the FirstNet program, I must say seeing FirstNet deployed through my district and the nation underscores how this true public-private partnership has been tremendously successful.” Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09): “Communication is more than convenient. It can be life saving. Today's hearing reminds us that success requires federal, state, and local partners all rowing in the same direction. In a crisis, no single system can carry the load. True resilience comes from interoperability, making sure radio, cellular, satellite and next generation 911 systems can connect seamlessly, so first responders can communicate and share information in real time.”

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  Public Safety Communications in the United States . Subcommittee Chairman Hudson's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Good morning, and welcome to today’s hearing on the state of public safety communications in the United States. I am looking forward to hearing from our witnesses about the needs of our first responders and how to improve communications for public safety.  “Communications systems are crucial for our public safety organizations. Our first responders need reliable connections to be able to answer calls for help. “We have unfortunately experienced many instances where our public safety communications didn’t work, and the consequences were devastating. “During the horrific terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, our communications networks were overloaded, resulting in calls being dropped or not going through. “More recently, although significantly improved from 2001, in my home state of North Carolina we felt the severe impacts from the Hurricane Helene devastation – ultimately preventing people from calling 9-1-1 and receiving life-saving care. “These are just two examples of major events where a lack of public safety communications cost hundreds and thousands of lives. “Today’s first responder communications landscape looks vastly different than that of 2001. “After 9/11, Congress stood up the 9/11 Commission, which released recommendations to prepare for and guard against future attacks. “One of those recommendations led to Congress establishing the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), a nationwide broadband network specifically built for public safety. “FirstNet was allocated 20 megahertz of spectrum and $7 billion to build out the network in all 50 states and territories. In 2017, AT&T was selected to deploy this network, and since then, other providers offer competitive services to serve public safety. “With FirstNet’s statutory authority set to expire in 2027, it’s time for Congress to assess the progress made by FirstNet to ensure the law requirements are being met and it is adequately serving the needs of our public safety community. “Additionally, our 911 call centers are working to deploy advanced technology, known as ‘Next Generation 911’. Next Generation 911 is a critical technology upgrade for our first responders and I have been a long-time supporter of its deployment nationwide. “This internet protocol-based system at our 911 call centers will open the door for advanced tools for both the public and our first responders to use. “NG911-equipped centers are able to receive text messages, photos and videos to help aid response efforts. This technology also allows for seamless integration of artificial intelligence for cybersecurity purposes or to aid call takers in times of large call volumes or provide real time language transcription or even translation.  “Once fully deployed, NG911 will be able to provide specific geolocation data for wireless callers, known as a dispatchable location. This accurate location will let first responders know the exact location of a caller automatically, instead of just the nearest cell tower. “Similar technologies are also being implemented to transmit vertical location data, which can help first responders locate the exact floor of someone in a high-rise building. “Equipping our first responders with this information can improve response times and help save lives. Importantly, this technology allows calls to be transferred or re-routed to other call centers, in the event a call center is taken offline due to an outage or natural disaster. “Our public safety and law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to help us in our times of need, and we must make sure they have the best tools to do their jobs. “Today, we will hear from our witnesses about the state of public safety communications and whether public safety needs are being met. We will hear about what tools and technologies are most effective for them to do their job, and where improvements can be made.  “I look forward to hearing from the witnesses today about these issues and how Congress can stand ready as a partner. “I now yield five minutes to my colleague, Ranking Member Matsui, for her opening statement.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings and one Subcommittee Markup. Read more below. SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding a hearing to discuss FirstNet and public safety communications. DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 TIME: 10:15 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing to discuss the impact of appliance and building regulations on affordability, consumer choice, and grid reliability. DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 TIME: 2:00 PM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building SUBCOMMITTEE MARKUP: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a markup of several public health reauthorization bills. DATE: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 TIME: 10:15 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, and Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, announced a hearing titled Public Safety Communications in the United States . "One of the primary functions of a nation is to ensure the safety of its people. Our public safety community requires reliable communications to respond adequately during an emergency,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson. “We look forward to considering ways to strengthen our public safety communications to better serve Americans in their moments of crisis.” Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled Public Safety Communications in the United States . WHAT: Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing on FirstNet and public safety communications. DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 TIME: 2:00 PM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Noah Jackson at Noah.Jackson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Daniel Kelly at Daniel.Kelly@mail.house.gov .

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – In case you missed it, Fox Business recently published an article featuring a letter sent to the Secretary of Commerce from Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee, urging the Department of Commerce to investigate Spain's recent wiretap deal with the Chinese-owned Huwai and warning of the national security threats posed by the deal. In Case You Missed It: “ Republican leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are calling on the Department of Commerce to investigate Spain’s controversial decision to contract with Huawei — a company with bridging links to the Chinese Communist Party — to store judicial wiretap data.  “ They warn the agreement poses a serious threat to U.S. digital trade and national security. “ In a letter this week to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Subcommittee Chairs Reps. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., and Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., warned that Spain’s contracts with Huawei to manage and store sensitive data related to the country’s wiretapping services were ‘ deeply troubling. ’ “ They noted that ‘ Huawei and other Chinese firms maintain documented CCP ties, posing profound risks to national and economic security. ’ “ The lawmakers further warned that the decision ‘ underscores a regrettable trend in the European Union (EU): governments tacitly embrace Chinese technology and hold American digital trade exports to double standards, ’ resulting in ‘ significant uncertainty for American companies in every sector that engages in transatlantic commerce. ’   “ They urged Commerce to ‘ investigate the Spanish government’s decision, and similar actions by EU governments, that negatively impact U.S. digital trade, data security, and telecommunications interests, as well as the interests of American workers. ’ “ Last month, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior quietly awarded a €12.3 million contract to Huawei to manage and store judicially authorized wiretaps using its OceanStor6800 V5 enterprise-grade servers. “ The move prompted top lawmakers on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to call on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to review intelligence sharing with Spain to ensure that Beijing was not intercepting secrets. “ House Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford called Spain’s deal ‘ almost unimaginable ’ in a statement last month.  “ The European Commission issued a formal warning, stating that ‘ Huawei represents materially higher risks ’ and urged member states to exclude high-risk vendors from critical infrastructure.  “ Sources within the Spanish National Police and the Civil Guard told Spanish news outlet The Objective they were uneasy with the partnership.  “ We are being asked to secure sensitive operations using systems that are not trusted by most of our allies, ’ one law enforcement source reportedly said.  “ The People’s Republic of China (PRC) National Intelligence Law of 2017 requires PRC individuals and entities to support PRC intelligence services. “ Chinese hackers breached U.S. court wiretap systems last year, according to a Wall Street Journal report. “ According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, China ‘ remains the most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. government, private-sector, and critical infrastructure networks ’ and has targeted communications infrastructure specifically, recently through the hacking operation Salt Typhoon. ”