The 2023 government spending package (see 2212200025) includes language that could eventually lead to the establishment of a formal outbound investment review mechanism. The provision, included in explanatory statements covering funding for the Treasury and Commerce departments, could speed up the administration's efforts to create the regime, which has been proposed this year in legislation by lawmakers and publicly supported by senior administration officials.
A World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel found the U.S. violated global trade rules by requiring goods made in Hong Kong to be marked as being made in China. Submitting its ruling Dec. 21, the three-arbitrator panel found the U.S. measures inconsistent with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, saying the U.S. failed to show the moves were made in response to an "emergency in international relations." The U.S. argued the change in the origin requirement was needed to safeguard American national security.
All four FCC commissioners expressed support Wednesday for proposed rules to more precisely route wireless 911 calls and texts to public safety answering points through location-based routing (LBR). The NPRM wasn’t controversial while before commissioners, though industry is expected to weigh in during the comment period (see 2212200064).
A World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel found the U.S. violated global trade rules by requiring goods made in Hong Kong to be marked as being made in China. Submitting its ruling Dec. 21, the three-arbitrator panel found the U.S. measures inconsistent with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, saying the U.S. failed to show the moves were made in response to an "emergency in international relations." The U.S. argued the change in the origin requirement was needed to safeguard American national security.
The Senate appeared poised to pass as soon as Wednesday an FY 2023 appropriations omnibus package that includes another short-term extension of the FCC’s spectrum auction authority, though the situation remained fluid late that afternoon amid continued wrangling over potential votes on amendments to the measure. Lawmakers agreed to attach a renewal the FCC’s remit through March 9, after an objection from Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., derailed a negotiated deal to include a modified version of the chamber's version of the Spectrum Innovation Act (S-4117) and other related measures (see 2212200077).
All has been quiet on the FCC’s proposed NPRM on location based routing (LBR) to public safety points, set for a vote Wednesday (see 2211300072). Industry officials said they expect the FCC to approve the NPRM largely as circulated by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, especially since there has been no lobbying.
Congress explicitly gave district courts jurisdiction over the intended U.S. prosecution of a sovereign-owned bank for evading U.S. sanctions, the government argued in a brief vying for jurisdiction for the case at the Supreme Court. The U.S. said that nothing in the common law or the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act prevents Turkish state-owned bank Halkbank "from facing criminal consequences for violating U.S. law." Allowing the "novel claim of immunity" to thwart the criminal prosecution of the bank "would be unprecedented" and is unsupported by the FSIA, since its "text, structure, and history demonstrate that it does not apply to criminal cases," the brief said.
The Senate this week unveiled its fiscal year 2023 government spending package, which includes additional funding for key export control, sanctions and trade priorities. The package also includes another round of emergency defense aid for Ukraine.
FCC commissioners and panelists at the Practising Law Institute’s Institute on Telecommunications Policy & Regulation Thursday outlined expectations for 2023 involving employment data collection, enforcement and the USF, but many speakers were focused on cyber and national security, such as compromised apps and obsolete devices. “It’s time to turn our attention to the millions of wireless devices in our country that are insecure,” said Commissioner Nathan Simington. “There’s an industry-wide acquiescence to careless practices.”
Senate Communications Subcommittee members from both parties targeted FCC and NTIA implementation of connectivity programs created in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and COVID-19 aid measures Tuesday, as expected (see 2212120064), including concerns about deficient data the commission used to develop its new broadband maps. Lawmakers also touched on other telecom policymaking matters they hope Capitol Hill can address during the lame-duck session or in the next Congress. Senate Commerce Committee leaders saw a potential one-week extension of their talks on one lame-duck priority, a compromise spectrum legislative package (see 2212070068), appear via a proposed continuing resolution to fund the federal government past Friday.