Leaders to Watch in the Democratic Senate

The Capitol began processing a massive shift in the balance of power as Democrats prepare to take unified control of Congress. That means these key Democrats are primed to take the gavels on the committees overseeing technology and telecommunications issues, ranging from data privacy to 5G to antitrust:

• Maria Cantwell, Senate Commerce: The veteran Washington state lawmaker will have the power to lead negotiations on data privacy legislation, pushing for priorities like giving consumers a right to sue tech companies. She will also be crucial for any Senate overhaul of Section 230 tech liability protections. She has criticized some Federal Communications Commission decisions on airwaves, challenging efforts by both Republican and Democratic commissioners to favor commercial wireless priorities over military and transportation needs. She can also shape efforts to expand broadband, enshrine net neutrality, and foster local and diverse media.
• Amy Klobuchar, Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee: The Minnesota lawmaker recently said she’d make tackling the “outsized power” of the tech giants one of her top priorities this Congress, including pushing to make it easier to sue companies and boost the authority of antitrust enforcers. Klobuchar said other priorities will include passing a comprehensive data privacy bill, pushing to “stop election interference and the spread of disinformation online,” and advancing her bipartisan bill on transparency in online ads, the Honest Ads Act.