Federal funding for 911 will likely be hard to come by for the foreseeable future, said the ranking Democrat on the House Commerce Committee at the APCO Summit Monday. Republicans usually block new funding efforts, and no spectrum auction legislation is on the horizon, said Rep. Frank Pallone and his telecom aide, David Goldman. States and localities will be the biggest source of 911 funding, said an FCC official.
Senate Democrats show no signs of letting up on an aggressive push to secure a floor reconfirmation vote for FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Last week, Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told us he has heard “there will be” Democratic holds on the hotline efforts to pass the Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555), which underwent the start of a hotline process Wednesday, and later the FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644), which may undergo a hotline attempt in the coming weeks (see 1605100058). Nelson, who said he wouldn't place a hold himself, cited “concern among a whole bunch of people” that would prompt Democratic holds until Rosenworcel receives her vote.
Senate Democrats show no signs of letting up on an aggressive push to secure a floor reconfirmation vote for FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Last week, Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told us he has heard “there will be” Democratic holds on the hotline efforts to pass the Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555), which underwent the start of a hotline process Wednesday, and later the FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644), which may undergo a hotline attempt in the coming weeks (see 1605100058). Nelson, who said he wouldn't place a hold himself, cited “concern among a whole bunch of people” that would prompt Democratic holds until Rosenworcel receives her vote.
Senate Democrats will prevent any easy floor passage of the FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) and the Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555) until the Senate votes on the renomination of FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, as expected (see 1605060062), a senior Democrat confirmed this week. Commerce Committee Republican staff plan to file for hotline unanimous consent consideration of both measures on the Senate floor this month, and a Commerce Committee aide confirmed Tuesday that Mobile Now will undergo a hotline attempt this week. Both hotline efforts would fail under the current Democratic strategy.
FCC conditions for Charter Communications' buying Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks include requiring New Charter to build out its broadband network by a million customer locations within four years of close and to offer a low-income broadband service. A number of the conditions the agency itself acknowledges aren't transaction specific. Despite that, the FCC said in its 348-page order Tuesday that buildout "would provide a substantial public interest benefit [and] spur competition, leading to lower prices and greater choice for consumers." That the order was coming was announced last week (see 1605060059).
Senate Democrats will prevent any easy floor passage of the FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) and the Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555) until the Senate votes on the renomination of FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, as expected (see 1605060062), a senior Democrat confirmed this week. Commerce Committee Republican staff plan to file for hotline unanimous consent consideration of both measures on the Senate floor this month, and a Commerce Committee aide confirmed Tuesday that Mobile Now will undergo a hotline attempt this week. Both hotline efforts would fail under the current Democratic strategy.
FCC conditions for Charter Communications' buying Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks include requiring New Charter to build out its broadband network by a million customer locations within four years of close and to offer a low-income broadband service. A number of the conditions the agency itself acknowledges aren't transaction specific. Despite that, the FCC said in its 348-page order Tuesday that buildout "would provide a substantial public interest benefit [and] spur competition, leading to lower prices and greater choice for consumers." That the order was coming was announced last week (see 1605060059).
A path forward still exists this Congress to advance the Senate’s FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) and the Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555) despite a rapidly diminishing number of legislative days in 2016 and a tough political climate, Capitol Hill observers told us. The Senate Commerce Committee approved Mobile Now March 3 and the FCC Reauthorization Act April 27, both by unanimous voice vote, and both are likely to be filed for hotline expedited consideration by the full Senate this month. Mobile Now is expected to be hotlined this week.
A path forward still exists this Congress to advance the Senate’s FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) and the Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555) despite a rapidly diminishing number of legislative days in 2016 and a tough political climate, Capitol Hill observers told us. The Senate Commerce Committee approved Mobile Now March 3 and the FCC Reauthorization Act April 27, both by unanimous voice vote, and both are likely to be filed for hotline expedited consideration by the full Senate this month. Mobile Now is expected to be hotlined this week.
The Senate reconfirmation fight over FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel may bleed over into stalling some big-ticket telecom legislation on the Senate floor, said officials from industry and on Capitol Hill. Some have heard that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., signaled an interest in obstructing telecom legislation until Rosenworcel gets a confirmation vote, which could have major implications for measures recently cleared from the Commerce Committee. That potential scenario was viewed as an unsurprising extension of Reid’s recent outrage.