Rosenworcel Defends Staff Increase, Other Funding Requests in Budget Hearing

House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee members questioned FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Thursday on the commission's funding request for increased staffing across the agency and the affordable connectivity program. During the hearing on the FCC's FY 2025 budget proposal (see 2403110056), some legislators raised concerns about the FCC's work on combating illegal robocalls and its spectrum authority.

Rosenworcel stressed the need for hiring additional staff, citing the launch of the Space Bureau in April 2023 and evolving communications challenges. "We need more engineers, economics, and space policy experts" to ensure the bureau's work continues, Rosenworcel said.

However, Commissioner Brendan Carr, who also testified, disagreed with Rosenworcel on hiring additional full-time equivalents (FTE). "If the FCC hired up to the 1,600 FTEs as it's requested, it would represent the largest percentage increase in agency employees" since the 1996 Telecom Act, Carr said.

"I think that we need more folks to help us with robocall enforcement," Rosenworcel said, "and frankly, I challenge anyone on this committee to disagree with me on that one." The FCC is "going to do everything we can to stop robocalls," but "our primary authority is from 1991" and "we need an update."

Rosenworcel also defended the proposed $30 million increase in the commission's budget for the national broadband map, noting the map is used "to distribute billions for broadband deployment." It provides "accountability for every federal dollar that is spent building this high-speed infrastructure," Rosenworcel said, and "the only way you hold the folks who took that money accountable for where they spent it is you put it on the map."

Subcommittee Chairman David Joyce, R-Ohio, said he was "surprised" not to see a funding request for the rip-and-replace program. Rosenworcel noted it was not part of the budget request because it was a "one-time expenditure" by Congress and revenue from upcoming FCC spectrum auctions "would help support the removal of that equipment and provide the funding necessary to make sure that program can actually fully proceed."

Congress should restore the FCC's auction authority, Rosenworcel and Carr urged the subcommittee, although Carr opposed increasing the commission's auction budget at the moment because "the Biden Administration has stalled out on spectrum auctions."

Several lawmakers and Rosenworcel emphasized the need for additional ACP funding. It's "crucial" that Congress "take immediate action to extend" ACP, said ranking member Steny Hoyer, D-Md., adding that 23 million households will "either see their internet costs go up or lose connection altogether" without additional funding. Carr suggested taking a "fresh look at eligibility" and "right sizing the effort in significantly increasing program safeguards" to reach households that would otherwise lack service without the subsidy. Rosenworcel welcomed making some programmatic adjustments.