House Communications Sets May 15 FCC Oversight Hearing

Rayburn. It will be the first House Communications FCC oversight hearing since Democrats gained a majority in the chamber after the November elections. Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said soon after the election that they intended to conduct more critical oversight hearings on the agency after Democrats regained the House majority (see 1811140055). House Commerce Democrats saw those efforts initially stymied by the 35-day government shutdown that ended in January and leadership's decision to fast-track consideration of the Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644) last month (see 1903270045). House Commerce will “examine past FCC decisions that have harmed consumers and question the Commissioners about proposals before the FCC that raise serious public interest and policy concerns,” Pallone and Doyle said in a news release. “Congress charged the FCC with regulating the communications sector to promote the public interest, competition, public safety, and protect consumers. Unfortunately, the current FCC has too often sided with corporate interests over the needs of the American people.” Pai already has testified before House and Senate appropriators since the beginning of this Congress about the FCC's FY 2020 budget request to (see 1904030082 and 1905070072).