Jimm Phillips

Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., asked NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson Friday to “pause the disbursement” of money for its tribal broadband connectivity program (TBCP) until NTIA uses updated FCC broadband maps to “verify that all funds for applications submitted … will not be used to overbuild existing broadband service.” Thune also asked for a pause until NTIA addresses GAO’s call last week for the agency to institute better performance goals and measures for TBCP (see 2301240047) that can better “detect fraud” in the program. Thune and former Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., first raised concerns about TBCP in December (see 2212080051), soon after Thune began a bid for stronger oversight of all federal broadband programs. Davidson indicated in his response earlier this month to that initial query that NTIA was still reviewing the broadband maps the FCC released in November (see 2211100072), but “I am concerned that if NTIA does not use” the updated data “to review all TBCP application currently pending, awarded and disbursed,” the agency “will once again waste billions of taxpayer dollars” by funding overbuilding of existing networks, Thune said in a letter to Davidson we obtained. The GAO’s report, meanwhile, said NTIA hasn't done a fraud risk assessment of the program and the agency hasn’t “designated an entity to oversee fraud risk management.” “This mismanagement of the TBCP by NTIA is deeply concerning” since the agency already disbursed more than $1.7 billion in funding through the program, Thune said. NTIA didn’t comment.

The Democratic rosters for the Senate Commerce Committee and House Commerce Committee subpanels are changing only slightly for this Congress, after the House shift to a GOP majority and the Senate to outright Democratic control. Rep. Doris Matsui of California will be lead House Communications Subcommittee Democrat and former Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairwoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois will be Innovation Subcommittee ranking member, as expected (see 2211210058), said House Commerce ranking member Frank Pallone of New Jersey. Republicans previously announced Rep. Bob Latta of Ohio will chair House Communications and Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida will chair Innovation (see 2301250066).

Senate Commerce Committee Republicans want to delay a third FCC confirmation hearing for Gigi Sohn until March, Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., told us Thursday. Thune and other Republicans seek a complete re-vetting of Sohn. President Joe Biden renominated her earlier this month (see 2301030060). Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., confirmed she’s continuing to pursue a February date for the hearing in hopes of swiftly advancing Sohn to the floor after more than a year of delay (see 2212300044).

Incoming Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, objects to a proposal from panel Democratic leaders to have a third confirmation hearing on FCC nominee Gigi Sohn almost immediately after the committee formally organizes, Hill aides and lobbyists told us. Sohn’s supporters want Senate Commerce to expedite its handling of Sohn’s confirmation process as much as possible, but Republicans want a full re-vetting of the nominee (see 2301030060). Senate Commerce’s organization itself is unlikely until sometime next week given expectations Wednesday that the chamber won’t be able to vote on an overall organizing resolution until Tuesday at the earliest.

The Senate Commerce Committee’s schedule for reconsidering FCC nominee Gigi Sohn remained unclear before the chamber’s expected Monday return from a more than two-week recess, with lobbyists and other observers saying chamber organizational uncertainties are the main barrier. President Joe Biden renominated Sohn this month, setting up a third partisan showdown with Republicans after the Senate stalled her confirmation process in 2021 and 2022 (see 2301030060). Friday marked two years since the FCC began operating with a 2-2 split, following former Chairman Ajit Pai’s resignation the day Biden took office (see 2101210067).

Several of the nine Republicans the House GOP Steering Committee added to the Commerce Committee roster Wednesday have been involved in communications, cybersecurity and privacy policymaking. House GOP leadership, meanwhile, formally named Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., as Commerce chair Tuesday, as expected (see 2211170089). Former panel Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., will stay on as ranking member during this Congress (see 2301030064).

National Hispanic Media Coalition CEO Brenda Castillo and the leaders of 20 other groups urged President Joe Biden a day before he renominated Gigi Sohn to be the third FCC Democrat (see 2301030060) to instead “nominate a person of Latino descent” to the commission. Two of the names of potential candidates to replace Sohn as Biden’s FCC nominee before Tuesday -- former acting NTIA Administrator Anna Gomez, ex-Wiley, and NASA Chief of Staff Susie Perez Quinn -- are Latina (see 2212300044). The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (see 2102110043) and others began pressing Biden to nominate a Latino FCC commissioner in early 2021.

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., stopped short Tuesday of agreeing to a push from Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., for a full re-vetting of FCC nominee Gigi Sohn, after her re-selection to be the commission’s third Democrat (see 2301030060). Other Sohn supporters, meanwhile, hailed her renomination and urged the Senate not to unnecessarily delay advancing her. President Joe Biden first nominated Sohn to the FCC in October 2021 (see 2110260076), but her confirmation process never made it past the committee level. Senate Commerce tied 14-14 on advancing her in March (see 2203030070), leading to a monthslong stall.

Senate Commerce Committee Republicans will insist that panel leaders allow another full vetting process for Gigi Sohn following her expected Tuesday renomination (see 2212300044), Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune of South Dakota said in a Tuesday interview. President Joe Biden formally renominated Sohn to the FCC seat Tuesday, after a senior White House official confirmed to us that her reselection was imminent (see 2301030026).

President Joe Biden intends to nominate Gigi Sohn for a third time to a vacant FCC seat, as expected, a senior White House official confirmed to us Tuesday. The Senate formally adjourned sine die just before noon EST Tuesday, formally sending Sohn’s stalled 2022 nomination to the commission back to the White House. Biden first nominated Sohn in October 2021, kicking off more than a year of partisan fighting about her confirmation that saw a handful of Democrats raise misgivings about her amid unified GOP opposition. Sohn’s supporters hope her third try for the FCC will be easier given the Senate shifted to an outright Democratic majority Tuesday, but lawmakers and lobbyists told us there’s no guarantee the Commerce Committee will be able to swiftly move her to the floor.