Legislation introduced Thursday would authorize $1.1 billion over five years to “promote the use of smart city technologies and enhance federal coordination.” Introduced by Democratic Reps. Suzan DelBene, Wash., and Yvette Clarke, N.Y., the Smart Cities and Communities Act would provide resources to localities.
The House Science Committee will host a subcommittee hearing virtually on the SolarWinds cyberattack and software supply chain at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Witnesses: Matthew Scholl, Computer Security Division chief, National Institute of Standards and Technology Information Technology Laboratory; Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Initiative Director Trey Herr; Luta Security CEO Katie Moussouris; and GAO Information Technology and Cybersecurity Director Vijay D’Souza.
Senate Republicans are eyeing agreeing to more broadband money in an infrastructure deal, and issues remain unresolved, Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker of Mississippi told us. He was among GOP legislators who met Tuesday with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on a GOP counterproposal to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, which includes $100 billion for broadband (see 2103310064). “We’re looking at” increasing the broadband spending Republicans agree to, Wicker told us. He suggested add-ons could include additional money to “speed up” FCC rollout of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund money and to “speed up” fixing its broadband coverage data maps. He’s “listening but skeptical of the administration’s position about going through NTIA” to distribute additional broadband money allocated here. Much “hasn’t been fully negotiated,” Wicker said. He and Public Works Committee ranking member Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said they were encouraged by the meeting and believe they’re getting closer to an agreement with the administration. The Republicans’ original counteroffer allocated $65 billion for broadband (see 2105180070). Buttigieg and Raimondo are “digesting what we proposed, and I think the plan is for them to react to that” soon, Capito told reporters. The White House expects to “follow up with” the Republicans “later this week,” a spokesperson said. The Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility (E-Bridge) Act, which Capito and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., refiled Wednesday, would remove regulatory barriers to Economic Development Administration grants for broadband deployments in a way that would allow localities to partner with the private sector (see 2005070055).
House Commerce Committee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and other top Republicans urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Tuesday to end proxy voting and other changes instituted last year in response to COVID-19, amid recent changes in Centers for Disease Control guidance. Lawmakers were expecting such changes to persist through much of 2021 (see 2102190049). Top House Republicans eye forcing a vote as soon as Wednesday to end a mask mandate and other precautions. “Follow the science, lead by example, and fully return to work,” the GOP leaders wrote. “More than 272 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered and at least 75 percent of members of Congress have been fully vaccinated.” Pelosi’s office didn’t comment.
DOJ should provide input on legislation that would restore the FTC’s authority under FTC Act Section 13(b) (see 2104280028) before the House Commerce Committee votes, ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and House Consumer Protection Subcommittee ranking member Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., wrote Attorney General Merrick Garland Monday. They asked if DOJ interprets the new authorities to apply to antitrust cases, whether retroactive provisions are constitutional and if the FTC could revisit past settlements. Rodgers and Bilirakis endorsed the “spirit” of the legislation and have concerns about preserving due process. The department declined comment.
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker of Mississippi and three other Republican senators leading a counterproposal to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan are expected to meet Tuesday with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and White House aides to present an updated offer, as expected (see 2105130071). The other Republican senators are Public Works Committee ranking member Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, John Barrasso of Wyoming and Mike Crapo of Idaho. The four were among Republicans who met with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris last week for infrastructure talks and have been working to refine their proposal. Biden proposed $100 billion for broadband, while Republicans earlier proposed $65 billion (see 2104220067).
APCO urged its members Monday to send letters to lawmakers supporting the 911 Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services Act. HR-2351, which was refiled in April (see 2104130069), would change the federal government's classification of public safety call takers and dispatchers to “protective service occupations.”
The Senate Commerce Committee plans to vote Thursday on the nomination of Eric Lander for Office of Science and Technology Policy director (see 2104290060), the committee announced Friday. It meets in executive session at 10 a.m. EDT in 216 Hart.
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker of Mississippi and other GOP senators who met Thursday with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their dueling infrastructure proposals indicated afterward there was progress. Biden’s proposal would allocate $100 billion for broadband, while Republicans’ counterproposal includes $65 billion for connectivity (see 2104220067). “We'll see if we can work out some … compromise on infrastructure,” Biden told reporters at the start of the meeting. “And I know” the Republicans are “sincere about it, so am I.” Biden asked the Republicans to “come back with another” counteroffer next week “with more granularity to it” than the initial proposal they released last month, said Senate Public Works Committee ranking member Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. She said the counterproposal could include more money. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California told reporters Wednesday that chamber’s GOP caucus intends to release its own counterproposal of less than $800 billion as soon as next week. Biden “left a lot of room for us to negotiate,” Capito said. “I made it clear that this was not a stagnant offer from us” and “he made it clear that he’s sincere in wanting to pursue this. And in the end, we agreed that if it doesn’t work, we’ll walk away friends.” Wicker said “we’re getting somewhere” in discussions, including a robust discussion about using public-private partnerships as a way to pay for infrastructure spending. “We should know before Memorial Day whether there’s a deal to be had or not,” said Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri. “If I was the White House, I wouldn’t want to go much beyond Memorial Day unless I thought we were down to the final details. But two weeks is a long time if you want to make something happen.”
The Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee scheduled a hybrid hearing on kids’ data privacy for 10 a.m. Tuesday in 253 Russell. Witnesses: Institute for Public Representation co-Director Angela Campbell, University of California, Berkeley's International Computer Science Institute Research Director-Usable Security and Privacy Serge Egelman and 5Rights founder Beeban Kidron.