The Senate Republican Conference ratified Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas Tuesday as Commerce Committee chairman, as expected (see 2411040049). Cruz said in a statement his top priority remains “pursuing policies that will create jobs and spur economic growth,” including by “expanding commercial access to electromagnetic spectrum.” Cruz is among the congressional GOP leaders eyeing using a coming budget reconciliation package to address spectrum issues, including restoring the FCC’s lapsed auction authority (see 2501070069). “I look forward to continuing to work with” Senate Commerce ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., “and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find common ground and deliver results that will make a difference in the daily lives of the American people,” he said. The panel will have 15 Republicans during this Congress, including freshman Sens. John Curtis of Utah, Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Tim Sheehy of Montana (see 2412230014). There will be 13 Democrats, including three new party members (see [Ref:2501030050}).
Lawmakers and officials expect that long-standing DOD objections to repurposing the 3.1-3.45 GHz band and other military-controlled frequencies will remain a flashpoint in negotiations during the new Congress as GOP leaders eye using an upcoming budget reconciliation package to move on spectrum legislation. Observers eyed potential friction from Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., if she succeeds in her bid to become Senate Communications Subcommittee chair (see 2412180052) given her well-known disagreement with new Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on DOD spectrum issues.
Communications industry executives and former federal officials said during a Practising Law Institute event Tuesday they see a likely GOP-led budget reconciliation package next year as a potential vehicle for legislation that would reinstate the FCC’s lapsed spectrum auction authority. House Commerce Committee leaders and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., have repeatedly attempted to reinstate the authority during this Congress only to have their efforts stall (see 2409170066).
The C-band relocation payment clearinghouse is in the final phase of its claims review, following the July 1 deadline for claims submission, it said in a docket 18-122 filing posted Monday. As of Sept. 30, it had finished reviewing all lump sum claims, all surrogate claims and most non-lump sum claims from earth station operators, as well as almost all claims from satellite operators, it said. Cumulatively through Sept. 30, it had received 4,518 claims with a total dollar value of $3.55 billion, and it's moving to its next phase: reconciliation of satellite operators' claims. The clearinghouse said after that, it will start final operations, including the final accounting and audit, with the expectation it ceases operations by June.