US Senate

Letter from Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to US Attorney General Merrick Garland

I urge the Department of Justice (DOJ) to permit Apple and Google to inform their customers and the general public about demands for smartphone app notification records. In the spring of 2022, my office received a tip that government agencies in foreign countries were demanding smartphone “push” notification records from Google and Apple. My staff have been investigating this tip for the past year, which included contacting Apple and Google.

Senators Markey (D-MA) and Blackburn (R-TN) Send Letter To FCC On 12 Gigahertz Proceeding

Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to act expeditiously in its proceeding regarding the 12.2-12.7 GHz spectrum band while continuing to maintain an evidence-based approach.  With the 12.2-12.7 GHz band, the FCC has a unique near-term opportunity to expand broadband access, improve the distribution of spectrum resources, and put our spectrum to its most efficient use, especially in rural areas of the country.

Sen Cortez Masto Introduces Bills to Protect Americans' Data Online

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) reintroduced three bills to strengthen data privacy protections and safeguard Americans’ personal information. The U.S. currently has no comprehensive data privacy laws and with the rise of AI and other technologies, consumers are vulnerable to fraud, security breaches, and predatory behavior online. 

Reps Mullin, Kelly, and Crapo Author Bill to Lower Broadband Costs and Boost Connectivity

Sens Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2023 to direct the FCC to require proper contributions to the Universal Service Fund (USF) from edge providers and broadband providers. Requiring edge providers to cover associated costs for rural fiber networks will reduce the financial burden on consumers and rural providers while strengthening broadband connectivity throughout rural America. Specifically, the Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act would:

Sen. Lee Reintroduces the SCREEN Act to Protect Children Online

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act, a step toward safeguarding minors from the pervasive threat of online pornographic content. Despite Congress's ongoing efforts over the past three decades to shield children from online pornography, prior legislative measures have been challenged and overturned by the Supreme Court on the grounds of not meeting the least restrictive means test. Nonetheless, the Court acknowledged the government's compelling interest to protect children.

Sens Thune (R-SD) and Klobuchar (D-MN) Lead Commerce Committee Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan AI Bill to Boost Innovation and Strengthen Accountability

Sens John Thune (R-SD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Hickenlooper (D-CO, Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act of 2023.

Sen. Cruz (R-TX) Leads Senate Republicans in Calling on FCC to Halt ‘Digital Equity’ Plan

We write in response to your recently circulated Draft Order on “Digital Discrimination” that would turn section 60506 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into a sweeping mandate for heavy-handed Internet regulation and expose every nook and cranny of the broadband business to liability under a “disparate impact” standard. Your Draft Order, which largely follows a Biden administration diktat, will create crippling uncertainty for the U.S. broadband industry, chill broadband investment, and undermine Congress’s objective of promoting broadband access for all Americans.

Sen Fetterman Advocates for More Effective Federal Broadband Access, Calls on FCC to Investigate Issues in Program

I write regarding reports from my home state—the commonwealth of Pennsylvania—of payment issues with the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). As my colleagues and I work to find long-term funding solutions for ACP, both the FCC and companies that administer and benefit from ACP must do right by Americans who rely on the it. I’ve heard from constituents across the commonwealth that some of these households have encountered issues receiving their benefits. Specifically, some service providers are requiring that users show proof of one month of service before qualifying for the discount.

Senator Schmitt Demands Answers from FCC Chairwoman Regarding her Attempt to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules

Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to demand answers regarding the FCC’s partisan Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to reinstate failed Title II net neutrality rules. “As a member of the U.S.

Senators Call on Department of Commerce and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to Streamline Broadband Funding for Rural America

We write to urge the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to make the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program more accessible to unconnected regions across the country by considering alternatives to the program’s irrevocable standby Letter of Credit (LOC) requirement. One alternative to the LOC requirement is the use of performance bonds, which are commonly used in construction projects.

Senators Urge FCC Improve Access to Local Journalism

Twenty senators penned a letter to the Federal Communications Commission urging the agency to improve access to local media on streaming platforms. Current law and FCC rules state that traditional cable and satellite networks must work directly with a local television station before broadcasting local news, sports, and other programming. However, linear streaming services over the internet are not required to negotiate directly with local television stations.

32 Senators Urge Extending Funding for Affordable Connectivity Program

We write to urge you to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP); which provides over 21 million working families with financial assistance for broadband access; to help bridge the digital divide so they can continue to afford the broadband services they need for work, school, health care, and more. Should ACP funding not be extended, millions of Americans could be at risk of losing access to broadband. We would take significant steps backward in the progress we’ve already made to connect more Americans to the internet through additional federal broadband investments.

Sen Thune Leads Colleagues in Opposing Biden FCC’s Internet Takeover

Over 40 Republican senators signed a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel urging her to abandon her proposal to reinstate net neutrality rules. Re-imposing heavy-handed, public-utility regulations on the internet, they wrote, would threaten the progress our country has made since 2017, and it would steer our country out of the fast lane and into a world of less competition, less choice, less investment, slower speeds, and higher prices. Further, the FCC lacks this statutory authority over broadband internet access.

Sen Durbin, Rep Kelly Introduce Bicameral Bill to Increase Access to Broadband Service for Low-Income Americans

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) introduced a bicameral bill that would increase access to broadband service for low-income urban and rural Americans.  The Promoting Access to Broadband Act would help states increase awareness and enrollment in the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provide a monthly subsidy to help low-income households pay for their broadband and telephone service. The bill would:

Sen. Cruz, Rep. McMorris Rodgers Urge FCC Commissioner to Reject Rosenworcel Plan to Subsidize TikTok on School Buses

We write to express our strong opposition to a plan circulated by Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to expand the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC or the Commission) E-Rate program. This plan would not only violate federal law but also duplicate programs across the federal government, directly contradicting FCC commissioners’ repeated commitments to streamlining federal broadband funding.

Senators Call on FCC to Restore Authority Over Broadband, Net Neutrality Protections

Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) led 25 of their Senate colleagues in writing to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expeditiously reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act and restore net neutrality protections. Doing so will allow the FCC to effectively protect consumers from harmful practices online, promote affordable access to the internet, enhance public safety, increase marketplace competition, and take other important steps to benefit our nation’s digital future.

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Regulate Use of Artificial Intelligence to Make Critical Decisions like Housing, Employment and Education

US Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY) introduced the Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2023, to create new protections for people affected by AI systems that are already impacting decisions affecting housing, credit, employment, education, and other high-impact uses.

Reps Bob Latta and Doris Matsui Join the Universal Service Fund Working Group

US Sens Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and John Thune (R-SD), Chair and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, respectively, announced Reps Bob Latta (R-OH) and Doris Matsui (D-CA), Chair and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, respectively, have joined the Universal Service Fund (USF) Working Group. Launched in early 2023 in the Senate, the USF Working Group was established to evaluate and propose potential reforms to the USF, with the goal of developing a bipartisan forum to guide education, awareness, and policy-making.

Sens Barrasso and Sinema Introduce Bill to Increase Access to Broadband on Federal Land

US Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) introduced the CLOSE THE GAP Act. Permitting for broadband projects and telecommunications infrastructure on federal land can delay efforts for up to 48 months, jeopardizing broadband projects, increasing costs, and limiting access to high-speed internet and vital telehealth services. The Act will:

Sens. Blumenthal & Hawley Announce Bipartisan Framework on Artificial Intelligence Legislation

US Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a bipartisan legislative framework to establish guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI). The framework lays out specific principles for upcoming legislative efforts, the establishment of an independent oversight body, ensuring legal accountability for harms, defending national security, promoting transparency, and protecting consumers and kids. The framework would: