Senate Commerce Committee

The Senate Commerce Committee approved 16 bills and the nominations for Wilbur Ross to be Secretary of Commerce and Elaine Chao to be Secretary of Transportation. The bills (all approved by voice vote) include:
MOBILE Now Act (S 19), Sponsors: Chairman John Thune (R-SD), Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things (DIGIT) Act (S 88), Sponsors: Sens Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act (S 96), Sponsors: Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairman Thune, Jon Tester (D-MT)
Securing Access to Networks in Disasters (SANDY) Act (S 102), Sponsors: Sens Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ranking Member Nelson
Kari’s Law Act (S 123), Sponsors: Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Brian Schatz (D-HI), John Cornyn (R-TX), Chairman Thune, Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Spoofing Prevention Act (S 134), Sponsors: Ranking Member Nelson, Deb Fischer (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act (S 174), Sponsors: Sens Dean Heller (R-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI)

Since [Federal Communications Commission] Chairman [Tom] Wheeler first announced his $5 billion Wi-Fi stimulus proposal, I have been concerned that he cannot realistically expect to pay for it without forcing Americans to pay more for communications services or diverting E-Rate funds that support necessary connectivity in our nation’s schools, particularly in rural areas.

While I disagree with some of my Democrat colleagues who believe the FCC should simply increase the existing cap on E-Rate funding, they are correct that Wi-Fi’s ‘impact cannot be felt where there is no broadband to support it.’ I also share the National Education Association’s opposition to raiding Priority I E-Rate funds to support Wi-Fi.

Chairman Wheeler should focus the FCC’s E-Rate reforms on protecting the program’s core mission of connectivity, realizing honest savings, and deploying real dollars, rather than promising future spending that could undermine E-Rate’s effectiveness or increase the economic burden on American ratepayers.

If Chairman Wheeler is unable to move forward with reforms that have the bipartisan support of his FCC colleagues, he should postpone Friday’s scheduled vote and work to achieve such an outcome later this summer. Moving forward in a partisan manner, relying on untested budget assumptions, and shifting E-Rate’s priority from connectivity to Wi-Fi will only erode the Chairman’s and FCC’s stature, and potentially jeopardize support for E-Rate.

Sen John (Jay) Rockefeller, IV (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation released the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it filed a complaint against wireless phone service provider T-Mobile USA, which alleges that the company made millions of dollars by placing unauthorized charges on consumers’ phone bills.

“I am deeply disturbed by the FTC’s allegations that T-Mobile allowed millions of dollars in unauthorized charges to be crammed on consumer wireless bills. […] The FTC’s allegations only heighten my concern about the industry’s repeated assertions that voluntary oversight effectively protects consumers from cramming. I am pleased the FTC is scrutinizing carrier practices and look forward to seeing how this FTC action will inform the Committee’s work to make sure the wireless industry is accountable to consumers.”

The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet will hold a hearing on June 5 titled “.”

The Subcommittee will examine the public safety implications of the ongoing evolution of the nation’s communications networks and how best to preserve consumer access to those networks and vital life-saving information during and after emergency situations. The hearing will be webcast live via the Senate Commerce Committee website.

Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller IV released the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that cybersecurity information can be shared with competitors without violating antitrust law.

“Improving our country’s cybersecurity is a team effort. It requires cooperation and trust between the security experts in our federal agencies and in the private sector.

"The announcement by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission should give the business community confidence that they will not face potential liability for sharing cyber threat information. I am disappointed that Congress has still not acted to promote information sharing through legislation, but congratulate the Obama Administration for taking action to address this important issue.”