US Senate
Maine to Receive Over $128 Million for Broadband From American Rescue Plan
Senator Angus King (I-ME), co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, applauded an announcement that the US Treasury Department is allocating more than $128 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to expand Maine broadband. These funds are drawn from the ARP’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, which was secured by Sen King in the final legislation and passed 50-49 with King's vote.
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Antitrust Legislation to Promote App Store Competition
Sens Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Open App Markets Act, which would set fair, clear, and enforceable rules to protect competition and strengthen consumer protections within the app market.
Sens Introduce Bipartisan Better Cybercrime Metrics Act to Improve Cybercrime Data Collection (US Senate)
Submitted by Grace Tepper on Fri, 08/06/2021 - 11:00Senators Rubio and Markey Applaud Commerce Committee Passage of Secure Equipment Act (US Senate)
Submitted by Grace Tepper on Thu, 08/05/2021 - 15:33Lawmakers Call on Amazon and Facebook to Cease Coordinated Efforts to Discredit FTC Chair Khan (US Senate)
Submitted by Grace Tepper on Wed, 08/04/2021 - 16:04Lawmakers Introduce RECOMPETE Act to Spur Economic Growth
Sen Chris Coons (D-DE), Reps Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), along with Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the bipartisan Rebuilding Economies and Creating Opportunities for More People Everywhere to Excel Act (RECOMPETE Act).
Lawmakers Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Close the Homework Gap
Sen Edward Markey (D-MA), Sen Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Rep Grace Meng (D-NY) introduced the Securing Universal Communications Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed (SUCCESS) Act to build on the Emergency Connectivity Fund created under the American Rescue Plan and provide schools and libraries with $8 billion a year over five years -- for a total of $40 billion -- to continue to provide Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and internet-enabled devices to students, staff, and library patrons following the coronavirus
Democratic Senators Push FCC to Scrutinize Verizon’s Tracfone Acquisition & Secure Commitments to Prioritize Consumers
Senators Edward Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) pressed the Federal Communications Commission to probe Verizon’s proposed acquisition of TracFone and secure specific commitments from the company to ensure that this acquisition will not harm consumers. In the $6.9 billion transaction, Verizon would acquire one of the largest operators of the Lifeline program which provides free or discounted internet and affordable prepaid mobile phone services to low-income Americans.
Sen Daines Introduces Bill to Counter Big Tech, Protect Users' Political Speech & Beliefs
Sen Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced the Preserving Political Speech Online Act (S.2338) to crack down on Big Tech and online platforms’ ability to discriminate against users based on their political speech and beliefs. Daines’ bill would enforce equal access to political candidates on online platforms as well as create a provision to prohibit the removal of content based on political beliefs. The Preserving Political Speech Online Act will: