House of Representatives
Oversight in the 118th Congress
In the next Congress, the Republican House majority will have the obligation and authority to conduct rigorous oversight of the federal government, including using the government’s vast power to attempt to coerce private businesses to act against the freedoms and security of our citizens. Areas of oversight will include:
Reps. Kelly (R-PA), Panetta (D-CA) Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Exempt Broadband Grants from Taxation
Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), joined by Reps. Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Drew Ferguson (R-GA), authored and introduced H.R. 9449, The Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act, bipartisan legislation to amend the Internal Revenue Code to ensure that funding directed for the implementation of broadband from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will not be considered taxable income. This bill was introduced in the Senate by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) and joined by Sens.
Rep. Clyde (R-GA) Introduces Legislation to Eliminate Government-by-Proxy Censorship
Rep Andrew Clyde (R-GA) led 10 of his colleagues in introducing the Free Speech Defense Act to eliminate government-by-proxy censorship. The legislation:
Rep Harris Asks NTIA to Reconsider Letter of Credit Requirements for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Broadband Programs
Rep Andy Harris (R-MD) recently sent a letter to US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo regarding the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) requirements for its Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) broadband programs. Specifically, the September 14, 2022 letter expresses concerns about the Letter of Credit (L/C) requirement included in the NTIA's Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the Enabling Middle Mile (MM) Broadband Infrastructure Program.
House Chairs Lynch and Maloney Call on Social Media Companies to Address Violent Threats Against Federal Law Enforcement (House of Representatives)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Tue, 08/23/2022 - 15:23Reps Nadler and Thompson ask federal law enforcement officials for specifics on the government’s access to and use of Americans' (House of Representatives)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Wed, 08/17/2022 - 15:52House Lawmakers Urge Biden Administration to Co-Locate Broadband and EV Charging Infrastructure
Reps Anna G Eshoo (D-CA) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) led a letter to Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Secretary Jennifer Granholm, and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information at the National Telecommunications and Information (NTIA) Alan Davidson, urging them to use funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to build out broadband and electric vehicle charging infrastructure simultaneously.
House Commerce Committee Passes Consumer Protection Bills
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed six consumer protection bills during a full Committee markup on July 20, 2022. Among these are: