Doyle Retiring; Matsui Potential House Comms Lead Successor

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., said Monday he won’t seek re-election in 2022. “The time has come to pass the torch to the next generation,” he said during a news conference in Pittsburgh. Doyle cited the likelihood that Pennsylvania’s redistricting plans “will change this district and most likely push part of it outside Allegheny County,” which makes it “a good transition time for a new member to start in a newly drawn district.” Doyle has been House Communications’ lead Democrat since 2017 and became chairman when Democrats gained a majority in the chamber after the 2018 election (see 1901150056). He spearheaded House Democrats’ years long legislative push to undo FCC rescission of 2015 net neutrality rules (see 2103300001) and advocated for major broadband money to be included in infrastructure legislation. He recently filed the Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-5378) to authorize an FCC auction of at least 200 MHz on the 3.1-3.45 GHz band (see 2109290071). Doyle’s announcement immediately prompted speculation about potential contenders to succeed him as lead Communications Democrat. Congressional Spectrum Caucus co-Chair Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., is known to be seeking to succeed Doyle, Capitol Hill aides and Democratic-focused lobbyists told us. Matsui’s office didn’t comment.