Judiciary chairman backs AT&T/T-Mobile

AT&T has picked up the support of powerful House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), who urged federal regulators this week to consider the “many benefits” of the company's pending T-Mobile bid.

Chairman Smith sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski that was aimed, in part, at countering several Democratic lawmakers who recently urged the officials to block the $39 billion transaction. “Recently you have heard from members of Congress who, based on the limited information provided in congressional hearings, urged you to conclude that this merger should be blocked,” Chairman Smith wrote in the missive. “Unfortunately, they provided you with only one side of the story. I feel compelled to briefly point out the other side.” Chairman Smith then listed some of the benefits that could be yielded from approving the wireless mega-deal, which are largely similar to AT&T’s arguments in favor of the proposed acquisition. He argued that the deal would allow AT&T to expand its LTE mobile broadband service to 97 percent of Americans, provide better service, and create jobs and innovation through an improved broadband network.