Two prominent Republicans questioned the suitability of switching tariffs for quotas because of currency manipulation in Brazil and Argentina, as President Donald Trump said Dec. 2 he is doing. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., the leading critic of Trump's trade policy, issued a statement that night that said, “He is justifying these tariffs by citing Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. This provision is exclusively meant for national security threats. Yet, the President has acknowledged that the real purpose of this action is to combat currency manipulation -- which does not pose a national security threat. Furthermore, even if this action were legitimate, the statutory window for imposing these tariffs has closed. These actions further underscore that Congress should take up my legislation that would reassert congressional authority regarding imposition of national security tariffs.”

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., released the final text of the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (Traced) Act Wednesday. They announced earlier this month they had reached an “agreement in principle” (see 1911150065) on a compromise that would combine elements of the original Senate-passed Traced Act (S-151) and the House-passed Stopping Bad Robocalls Act (HR-3375). Both chambers will vote on the compromise text as an amendment to the original S-151. Pallone said in a statement he hopes the House will vote on the measure “very soon,” with Hill aides pegging it to happen next week. The joint text would increase FCC enforcement authority, allowing it to levy civil penalties of up to $10,000 per call when the caller intentionally flouts the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The bill would extend to up to four years the window for civil enforcement. The FCC would be required to begin a rulemaking to help protect subscribers from receiving unwanted calls or texts from callers using unauthenticated numbers (see 1901170039). The measure also would direct the agency to issue rules requiring carriers to offer opt-out robocall blocking and caller ID services to consumers for free (see 1906200061) and initiate a proceeding “to protect called parties from one-ring scams.” It directs the attorney general and FCC to convene an interagency working group to study federal prosecutions of robocall violations in a bid to increase DOJ activity in that area. It also directs the FCC Enforcement Bureau to give the attorney general any evidence “that suggests a willful, knowing, and repeated robocall violation with an intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.” FCC Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel hailed the compromise. “I appreciate it addresses some issue I raised over many years,” O'Rielly tweeted. “Robocall solutions should be FREE for consumers,” Rosenworcel tweeted. “They didn’t create this mess fouling up their phone lines, they shouldn’t have to pay to fix it.”

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., released the final text of the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (Traced) Act Wednesday. They announced earlier this month they had reached an “agreement in principle” (see 1911150065) on a compromise that would combine elements of the original Senate-passed Traced Act (S-151) and the House-passed Stopping Bad Robocalls Act (HR-3375). Both chambers will vote on the compromise text as an amendment to the original S-151. Pallone said in a statement he hopes the House will vote on the measure “very soon,” with Hill aides pegging it to happen next week. The joint text would increase FCC enforcement authority, allowing it to levy civil penalties of up to $10,000 per call when the caller intentionally flouts the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The bill would extend to up to four years the window for civil enforcement. The FCC would be required to begin a rulemaking to help protect subscribers from receiving unwanted calls or texts from callers using unauthenticated numbers (see 1901170039). The measure also would direct the agency to issue rules requiring carriers to offer opt-out robocall blocking and caller ID services to consumers for free (see 1906200061) and initiate a proceeding “to protect called parties from one-ring scams.” It directs the attorney general and FCC to convene an interagency working group to study federal prosecutions of robocall violations in a bid to increase DOJ activity in that area. It also directs the FCC Enforcement Bureau to give the attorney general any evidence “that suggests a willful, knowing, and repeated robocall violation with an intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.” FCC Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel hailed the compromise. “I appreciate it addresses some issue I raised over many years,” O'Rielly tweeted. “Robocall solutions should be FREE for consumers,” Rosenworcel tweeted. “They didn’t create this mess fouling up their phone lines, they shouldn’t have to pay to fix it.”

Beyond 870,000 DBS subscriber households losing access to some broadcast programming, Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act expiration at year's end would mean more-likely blackouts affecting 87.4 million MVPD-subscribing households, the Congressional Research Service reported Friday. CRS said expiration of both the Copyright and Communications Act provisions of the STELA Reauthorization Act would likely give station owners increased leverage in negotiating with cable, telco and satellite operators, raising the likelihood station owners black out signals.

Report ISPs are deploying broadband to all Americans "in a reasonable and timely fashion," industry told the FCC in comments posted through Monday in docket 19-285 on a notice of inquiry for the 15th annual Communications Act Section 706 report (see 1910230065). Critics said the last report overstated broadband deployment (see 1905290017).

Report ISPs are deploying broadband to all Americans "in a reasonable and timely fashion," industry told the FCC in comments posted through Monday in docket 19-285 on a notice of inquiry for the 15th annual Communications Act Section 706 report (see 1910230065). Critics said the last report overstated broadband deployment (see 1905290017).

The European Union has brought a World Trade Organization dispute against Indonesian export restrictions on raw materials used in stainless steel production, the European Commission said Nov. 21. The restrictions “unfairly limit” EU producer access to these materials, namely nickel, scraps, coal, coke, iron ore and chromium, the commission said. The EU is also “challenging” subsidies that “encourage use of local content by Indonesian producers and give preference to domestic over imported goods,” the commission said, calling the subsidies a violation of WTO rules.

The FCC approved national security supply chain rules Friday, barring equipment from Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE from networks funded by the USF and establishing rules that could block other providers (see 1910290054). Commissioner Mike O’Rielly voted yes, with reservations. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC needs to do more and should have acted more quickly. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said smaller carriers using USF should be reimbursed for ripping Chinese gear out of their networks. Officials acknowledged the item got late changes sought by commissioners (see 1911200030).

The FCC approved national security supply chain rules Friday, barring equipment from Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE from networks funded by the USF and establishing rules that could block other providers (see 1910290054). Commissioner Mike O’Rielly voted yes, with reservations. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC needs to do more and should have acted more quickly. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said smaller carriers using USF should be reimbursed for ripping Chinese gear out of their networks. Officials acknowledged the item got late changes sought by commissioners (see 1911200030).

Rep. Max Rose, D-N.Y., introduced legislation Thursday that would create a program in which experts flag terrorist content for social media companies. The Raising the Bar Act would establish a program modeled after a similar EU one and “would hold social media companies accountable to their own written standards and encourage the kind of partnerships that are needed to properly stop the spread of terrorist content online,” Rose said. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., co-sponsored the bill.