House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey and 14 other committee Democrats urged the FCC Thursday to “provide unlimited voice minutes and unlimited mobile data to Lifeline recipients for the duration” of the COVID-19 pandemic, and increase “the basic support amount to cover the incidental costs of such increased benefit.” Talks between Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration on a compromise for the next pandemic aid bill appeared Thursday to be on pause until after Labor Day, as Senate leaders scheduled their next votes for Sept. 8. The House is already on recess and isn’t expected to return until Sept. 14. “We will have our regular pro forma meetings” and if Hill Democratic leaders “decide to finally let another package move forward … it would take bipartisan consent to meet for legislative business sooner than scheduled,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters. Senate Republicans’ proposal last month for the next aid measure contained few telecom and tech provisions (see 2007280059). House Democrats had more tech and telecom language in their Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HR-6800), including broadband funding (see 2005130059). The FCC “has taken some small steps since March to tweak the Lifeline program’s rules, much bolder action is necessary,” House Commerce Democrats said in their letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “Regrettably, the Senate has yet to consider any meaningful action to assist low-income consumers in affording broadband during this pandemic,” so it’s “all the more critical that the FCC use all of its authorities to ensure that the American people have access to internet services at an affordable cost.” The lawmakers also faulted Pai’s draft order to reduce a Dec. 1 increase of Lifeline’s minimum service standard for mobile broadband (see 2007300064). The proposal appears “to ignore the fact that coronavirus cases continue to rise, and the country has experienced nineteen consecutive weeks of over one million unemployment claims,” the Democrats said. Other signers included House Commerce Vice Chair Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and subpanel Vice Chair Doris Matsui, D-Calif. Pai “for months has made clear that Congress needs to step up to the plate and make more funding available for connectivity during” the epidemic, a spokesperson emailed. “It’s therefore disappointing that House Democrats have failed to do their job and are refusing to find common ground with the Administration and congressional Republicans on broadband funding and other core national priorities unless they get their demand for special-interest giveaways that have nothing to do with the pandemic, like tax cuts for the rich in states like New York, New Jersey, and California.”
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai declared “massive victory” Wednesday as the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals mostly upheld the agency’s 2018 wireless infrastructure orders on small cells and local moratoria. Industry also applauded the court for rejecting local government claims that the FCC inappropriately preempted their authority in the federal agency’s effort to streamline 5G deployment. The 9th Circuit fully upheld the agency’s one-touch, make-ready (OTMR) order.
Delay implementation of proposed expanded audio description of video requirements to Oct. 1, 2021, because of COVID-19, said NAB in a call last week with staff from the FCC Media and Consumer and Governmental Affairs bureaus, according to an ex parte filing posted Tuesday in docket 11-43. “The COVID-19 national emergency is causing substantial economic harm to the broadcasting industry, and the requested delay would provide affected stations more time to pivot onto firmer financial ground once the emergency hopefully subsides,” NAB said. The extra time could help stations “to better accommodate the costs of audio description in their annual budgets,” the filing said.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announces changes in his office (see also this section, Aug. 7 issue): Sean Spivey joins from Wireless Bureau as wireless and international adviser, replacing Aaron Goldberger, returning to the bureau; Allison Baker named economic adviser, comes from Wireline Bureau; chairman’s Rural Broadband Adviser Preston Wise expands role to wireline adviser, replacing Nirali Patel, going back to Wireline Bureau; and Melissa Kirkel, who has been on detail as special counsel-wireline, returns to the bureau ... Arnold & Porter hires Jessica Monahan from National Association of Counties as policy adviser; she has worked on transportation and technology ... Scanlon Rabinowitz adds Roy Shulman, ex-Prudential Financial, as special counsel focusing on technology, contract and intellectual property law.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announces changes in his office (see also this section, Aug. 7 issue): Sean Spivey joins from Wireless Bureau as wireless and international adviser, replacing Aaron Goldberger, returning to the bureau; Allison Baker named economic adviser, comes from Wireline Bureau; chairman’s Rural Broadband Adviser Preston Wise expands role to wireline adviser, replacing Nirali Patel, going back to Wireline Bureau; and Melissa Kirkel, who has been on detail as special counsel-wireline, returns to the bureau ... Arnold & Porter hires Jessica Monahan from National Association of Counties as policy adviser; she has worked on transportation and technology ... Scanlon Rabinowitz adds Roy Shulman, ex-Prudential Financial, as special counsel focusing on technology, contract and intellectual property law.
Responding to a spate of reported 911 dispatching issues, a Washington, D.C., auditor might conduct a long-awaited probe of the Office of Unified Communications next year. Alleged OUC incidents -- including sending first responders to the wrong address or multiple responders to the same place -- could show a systemic problem, said a neighborhood commissioner and firefighter union president in interviews last week.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will continue export restrictions on an amended list of personal protective equipment through Dec. 31, the agency said in a notice released Aug. 6. The restrictions, which were scheduled to expire this month, now cover four categories of items, including certain respirators, masks, gloves and surgical gowns -- a decrease from the six categories FEMA has restricted since April. The changes take effect Aug. 10.
The Congressional Research Service issued a report Aug. 4 on emerging military technologies, including supply chain risks faced by the U.S. and considerations for Congress. The CRS suggests the U.S. supply chain for advanced military technologies may be compromised by Chinese industrial espionage or attempts to steal intellectual property relating to hypersonics. The report also cites the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence finding that the U.S. “lacks domestic facilities” to produce components needed to make artificial intelligence technologies, forcing the nation to rely on “foreign fabrication and complex global supply chains for production.” The report cites experts who say technology developments are likely to “outpace” U.S regulation, adding that the U.S. should consider “broad” engagement with allies to “advance collaboration on emerging technologies, norms, and standards setting.”
The U.S. renewed a national emergency declaration authorizing sanctions against people and entities that undermine Lebanon’s democratically elected government, the White House said July 29. The national emergency due to the threat to U.S. national security posed by violence and political instability in Lebanon was extended for one year beyond the Aug. 1, 2020, expiration date.
The U.S. is working on more measures to dissuade companies from doing business in China, administration officials said, including through financial incentives and more industry outreach about enforcement risks. Commerce Department official Nazak Nikakhtar and State Department official Keith Krach also said the administration is working to collaborate more with trading partners against China.