Supreme Court Battle Won’t Affect Senate Airwaves Measure

The Senate Commerce Committee’s work on a wide-ranging mobile broadband and airwaves bill won’t be knocked off course by the showdown between Democrats and Republicans about a new Supreme Court nominee in the Senate, according to Committee Communications Director Frederick Hill.

The debate about whether the Senate should move to confirm a Supreme Court nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia threatens to split the already divided chamber of Congress. With some Democrats quietly suggesting that much of the Senate’s normal business would halt if Republicans don’t act, the fate of lots of niche bills is in question. Some committees, at least, plan to stay on course. The Senate Commerce Committee will continue to press forward on a massive spectrum bill, the MOBILE NOW Act, introduced by the committee’s chairman, Sen. John Thune (R-SD). “I see no reason that any nomination would affect consideration of the bill,” Hill said. A simple statement like this from the committee is important because it signals that members want to have legislation ready for the floor should an opportunity arise. In other words, they aren’t giving up on this year just yet.