Senate Commerce Eyes June 16 O'Rielly Hearing; Kennedy Sees June C-Band Hearing
The Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee are close to setting two FCC-related June hearings, the panels’ chairmen told us Thursday. Senate Commerce is “looking at” holding a hearing mid-month on FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly’s nomination to…
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another term, though it’s “not scheduled yet,” said Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss. “It’s definitely on our agenda.” Lobbyists told us the most likely hearing date appears to be June 16, though it’s not a certainty. President Donald Trump renominated O’Rielly in March to a term ending June 30, 2024 (see 2003180070). O’Rielly’s current term ended in June 2019, but he can remain on the commission until this Congress ends at the beginning of 2021. Communications sector officials and lobbyists believe O’Rielly has a good chance of confirmation (see 2004030072). Wicker told us he’s still eyeing a Senate Commerce hearing on the FCC's Ligado L-band plan approval, which drew the ire of the House and Senate Armed Services committees and some other lawmakers (see 2005210043). Lobbyists said Senate Commerce hasn’t indicated a timeline for the hearing. Senate Appropriations Financial Services Chairman John Kennedy, R-La., indicated a planned follow-up hearing on his concerns about the FCC’s plans for auctioning the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band is likely “in the next couple weeks,” as expected (see 2005270034). “I’ve asked” Senate Appropriations Financial Services Majority Staff Director Andrew Newton “to get it scheduled,” Kennedy told us. The panel is “at a minimum” going to include testimony from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, though “there will be others.”