The U.S. renewed its motions to pause proceedings in two appeals on the legality of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit following the Supreme Court's decision to hear a pair of cases on the same issue. Plaintiffs in both appeals, the State of California and members of the Blackfeet Nation indigenous tribe, opposed the renewed motions (Donald J. Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, U.S. 25-250) (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, U.S. 24-1287).
The U.S. opposed the intervention of members of the Blackfeet Nation indigenous tribe in the lead case on the legality of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act before the Supreme Court, arguing that the members don't identify anything "rare, unusual, or extraordinary that would warrant intervention here" (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, U.S. 24-1287).
Ten Senate Republicans want to mitigate parts of the GOP’s compromise on a spectrum pipeline framework, adopted in July via the budget reconciliation package, amid an ongoing push to excise language in the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (S-2296) that would give the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman authority to veto commercial use of the 3.1-3.45, 7 and 8 GHz bands (see 2509100064).
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
The House Appropriations Committee voted 35-28 early Wednesday morning to advance the Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee’s FY 2026 funding bill after turning back Democrats’ bid to attach $535 million in advance CPB funding for FY 2028. The measure lacks language to restore any of the $1.1 billion in federal money for CPB that Congress clawed back in July via the 2025 Rescissions Act (see 2509030065). Meanwhile, House Appropriations appeared on track Wednesday afternoon to advance the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s FY26 bill, which would cut NTIA’s annual funding (see 2507150086). The panel was still considering amendments at our deadline.
Members of the Blackfeet Nation tribe challenging the legality of tariffs issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act asked to intervene in the lead case on the issue a day after the Supreme Court decided to take up the matter. The Blackfeet Nation members said their claims "overlap" with the claims from the existing parties, though their case also raises questions about "fundamental constitutional principles and a unique body of federal Indian law" (Donald J. Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, U.S. 25-250) (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, U.S. 24-1287).
SpaceX’s purchase of wireless licenses from EchoStar, announced Monday, wasn’t a surprise (see 2509080052), AT&T CEO John Stankey said Tuesday at a Goldman Sachs conference. “I'd probably argue that that may be the highest and best use of that spectrum for a variety of reasons because it does harmonize very well globally.”
Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., a Congressional Next-Generation 911 Caucus co-chair, told us Monday night that she’s exploring shifting some pools of Department of Homeland Security money and other “offsets” from existing federal funding to pay for upgrades to the newer emergency technology, now that Congress has ruled out using spectrum auction revenue for that purpose (see 2507080065). Several other lawmakers have thus far not identified other funding alternatives (see 2509080055).
The National Taxpayers Union, an anti-tax group, is arguing that House Republicans should not, for the third time, change the rules of the House to block a vote on the underlying emergencies that allowed the president to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Some top lawmakers indicated in recent interviews that they lack a clear plan to fund next-generation 911 tech upgrades, months after Congress decided against allocating future spectrum auction revenue for them in the budget reconciliation package, previously known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (see 2507080065). NG911 advocates said they expect that the lack of an alternative will come up during Tuesday's House Communications Subcommittee hearing on public safety communications issues. The hearing is also likely to address a looming legislative renewal of FirstNet that must happen before the existing mandate expires in February 2027 (see 2509030058).