US Senate

Sen Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Digital Platform Commission Act, the first-ever legislation in Congress to create an expert federal body empowered to provide comprehensive, sector-specific regulation of digital platforms to protect consumers, promote competition, and defend the public interest.

Sens Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Rev Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced legislation to restore the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) decades-long authority to return money to consumers victimized by illegal scams, fraud and other unfair or deceptive practices. In April 2021, the Supreme Court slashed the FTC’s “Section 13(b)” authority which the commission utilized to return $11.2 billion dollars to consumers in the five years prior to the decision.

Sens Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Rural Broadband Protection Act (S.4126), which would require a more thorough vetting and verification process for internet service providers seeking to participate in the Federal Communications Commission's high-cost programs.

Sen Roger Wicker (R-MS) participated in a hearing to consider the Department of Commerce budget for Fiscal Year 2023, which featured testimony from Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. "Last year’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law placed the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the center of our efforts to expand broadband access and close the digital divide," said Wicker.

Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel regarding the issue of pole attachments. Specifically, Sen Capito stressed that the high costs and long waits imposed by pole owners when poles need to be replaced are hindering the progress of broadband deployment. "There are many reasons for the stubborn lack of broadband access in rural communities, but with recent congressional action, funding is no longer one of them," said Capito.