Senate Commerce Committee

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging the FCC to redouble its efforts to make mid-band spectrum available for 5G. The Sens wrote, "Currently, the United States lags far behind our competitors in the availability of mid-band spectrum for 5G. While Citizens Band Radio Service will make 70 MHz of licensed spectrum available under a novel licensing scheme, much more is needed.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the “Broadband Interagency Coordination Act of 2019.” The legislation would direct the Federal Communications Commission, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to enter into a memorandum of understanding to coordinate the distribution of federal funds for broadband deployment. Such an agreement would reduce overbuilding and ensure funds are targeted to unserved and underserved areas.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved two telecommunications bills:

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Sen Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) announced a bipartisan working group focused on crafting a net neutrality proposal to encourage innovation, boost investment, and close the digital divide. “The mission of this working group will be to put partisan politics aside in order to provide permanent internet protections,” said Chairman Wicker. “We need clear rules of the road that prohibit providers from blocking or throttling access to lawful content and provide transparency and consumer choice.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) announced the committee’s six subcommittees and the respective chairmen. “In an effort to exercise oversight more effectively and develop policy in the many agencies and departments covered by Commerce’s broad jurisdiction, the six subcommittees have been reconfigured,” said Chairman Wicker. “For example, the new Subcommittee on Security will address the intersection of economic and national security.

I thank my colleagues for their support in electing me chairman of the Commerce Committee. I would also like to thank Sen. John Thune, the committee’s former chairman, for his exemplary leadership these past four years. The chairmanship is a great responsibility given the committee’s broad jurisdiction across diverse sectors of our economy. I look forward to serving alongside our new ranking member, Sen. Maria Cantwell, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build on the committee’s successes and continue moving our economy forward.