Benton Institute for Broadband & Society - Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX)

Author:

https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/45983F37-2FA5-4586-BCCA-8E044955E…

Send date:

Thu, 04/25/2024

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Daily Digest 4/24/2024

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Wed, 04/24/2024

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Protecting Americans From Hidden FCC Tax Hikes

benton — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 16:12:16 +0000

The Federal Communications Commission is poised to raise taxes through its Universal Service Fund—a regressive, hidden tax on consumers' phone bills that funds a series of unaccountable, bloated internet subsidy programs. Rather than giving the FCC carte blanche to expand its balance sheet, Congress must reform the USF's structural problems, reevaluate its component programs, and get the FCC's spending under control. Here is my plan to do that.

To get spending under control, Congress—not the FCC—must take charge of defining universal service and deciding where USF funds may go. Moving some or all USP programs into direct congressional appropriations would help restore political accountability over the FCC's spending decisions.
Stop subsidizing networks that face unsubsidized competition.
Do not subsidize Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act-funded networks' ongoing operational costs.
Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Program are duplicative and should, at the very least, be combined. If low-income broadband subsidies are to continue, limit enrollment and develop clear performance metrics.
The E-rate program should be evaluated so policymakers can make sure it is truly benefiting pedagogical objectives; these subsidies should serve children, not the interests of tech and telecommunications lobbyists.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

A Blueprint for Universal Service Reform

Source:

Senate Commerce Committee

Author:

https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/3c3175e8-1533-4b5a-8549-f4d058b…

Send date:

Thu, 03/07/2024

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 3/6/2024

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Wed, 03/06/2024

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Editorial

Republicans Raise Serious Concerns About the FCC’s Management of the ACP

benton — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 22:53:47 +0000

We write asking you to clarify your recent congressional testimony regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). At a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on November 30, 2023, you asserted—without evidence and contrary to the FCC’s own data—that “25 million households” would be “unplug[ged]…from the internet” if Congress does not provide new funding for the ACP. This is not true. As Congress considers the future of taxpayer broadband subsidies, we ask you to correct the hearing record and make public accurate information about the ACP. As lawmakers with oversight responsibility over the ACP, we have raised concerns, shared by the FCC Inspector General, regarding the program’s effectiveness in connecting non-subscribers to the internet. While you have repeatedly claimed that the ACP is necessary for connecting participating households to the internet, it appears the vast majority of tax dollars have gone to households that already had broadband prior to the subsidy. According to your testimony, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) found that only “20 or 22 percent” of ACP recipients lacked broadband prior to the ACP. Previous FCC surveys have found the number of non-subscribers served by the program to be even lower at 16 percent. The program’s record of targeting taxpayer subsidies to consumers who already had broadband is further apparent in the FCC’s enrollment numbers: The number of households in the ACP—approximately 22 million—far exceeds the 16 million unconnected households according to 2021 Census data. We ask you to supplement your testimony from November 30, 2023, with the correct information about the number of Americans that will “lose” broadband if the ACP does not receive additional funds, and correct the hearing record accordingly by January 5, 2024. Additionally, we request that you provide the following information by January 5, 2024.

A description of efforts by the FCC to prepare for a potential lapse in ACP funding, including the agency’s communications with participating providers regarding their plans to notify consumers;
Whether the FCC has continued to support the expansion of ACP enrollment, including by encouraging providers to expand enrollment, since August 2023;
A list of efforts by the FCC to identify low-income households that do not already subscribe to broadband service;
Why the FCC has not yet published data on the number of households enrolled through a provider’s existing low-income program, as required by the ACP implementation order, and when it plans to do so;
Whether the FCC has collected and analyzed information about low-income households that currently lack broadband subscriptions to determine why those households do not purchase broadband;
Data that the FCC is collecting to measure progress towards achieving the goal of connecting households that were previously not subscribed to broadband, and how the FCC is using that data to measure progress towards that goal;
A list of efforts by the FCC to target ACP funds to households that previously lacked broadband subscriptions, rather than those that already had broadband, amid a potential lapse in funding;
A description of how the FCC has prioritized the ACP Outreach Grant Program applications that target unserved low-income households, as required by the ACP Outreach Grant Program implementation order;
A list of efforts by the FCC to measure the performance of ACP with respect to broadband adoption, as urged by the 2021 Grant Thornton Lifeline Report, and a description of the extent to which such efforts distinguish the respective effects of ACP and Lifeline; and
Enumeration of all expenses covered by the two percent of total ACP funding that the FCC reserved for administration costs.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

"It appears the vast majority of tax dollars have gone to households that already had broadband prior to the subsidy."

Source:

Author:

Sen John Thune (R-SD)

Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

Chairman Bob Latta (R-OH)

Send date:

Mon, 12/18/2023

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 12/15/2023

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Not Available

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Publish Date:

Fri, 12/15/2023

Coverage Type:

Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Digital Divide

Federal Broadband Programs

Affordable Connectivity Program (was Emergency Broadband Benefit Program)

Gov performance

Internet/Broadband

Affordability/Cost/Price

Adoption

Universal Broadband

Legislation

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Level of Government

Federal

Marginalized Populations

Low-income

Republican senators want to stop the FCC from updating data-breach notification rules

benton — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 12:40:09 +0000

It has come to our attention that the Federal Communications Commission intends to vote on a Report and Order that would violate Congress’ Resolution of Disapproval vitiating the FCC’s 2016 Broadband Privacy Order. Since the FCC has no authority to ignore Congress’ exercise of the Congressional Review Act (CRA), we urge you to withdraw the draft Report and Order to avoid resurrecting substantially similar parts of the 2016 Broadband Privacy Order that Congress nullified. The FCC’s proposed rules in the Report and Order are clearly “substantially similar” to the nullified 2016 rules. Specifically, the requirements in the Report and Order governing notification to the FCC, law enforcement, and consumers, as well as the recordkeeping requirements with respect to breaches and notifications, are substantially similar to the notification and recordkeeping requirements disapproved by Congress. As lawmakers with oversight responsibility over the FCC, we have repeatedly identified actions taken under your leadership that exceed legal authority. In this case, the FCC is defying clear and specific direction not to issue requirements that are substantially similar to parts of a rule disapproved by Congress. We therefore urge the FCC to rescind the draft Report and Order and remove it from the FCC’s December Open Meeting agenda

Benton Content:

https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/12121312026201/1

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/ted-cruz-wants-to-stop-the-fcc-from-…

Teaser:

"The FCC has no authority to ignore Congress’ exercise of the Congressional Review Act"

Source:

Author:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Sen John Thune (R-SD)

Sen Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

Send date:

Wed, 12/13/2023

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 12/12/2023

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Wed, 12/13/2023

Coverage Type:

Cybersecurity and Cyberwarfare

Upcoming event

https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2023/11/sen-cruz-leads-senate-republicans-in-cal…

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

benton — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 12:29:56 +0000

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. We urge you to adhere to the will of Congress and conform to the plain meaning of section 60506 to avoid causing serious damage to the competitive and innovative U.S. broadband industry. First, your Draft Order’s “disparate impact” standard of liability is unlawful. Second, your Draft Order would subject an untenably broad array of broadband business decisions to intrusive regulation. Third, your Draft Order is flippant when it comes to the real-world impact of these burdensome rules on broadband deployment in the United States.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

“Digital discrimination” order is a major abuse of the agency’s power

Source:

Author:

Send date:

Tue, 11/14/2023

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 11/13/2023

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Not Available

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Publish Date:

Tue, 11/14/2023

Coverage Type:

Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Digital Divide

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Level of Government

Federal

Marginalized Populations

Individuals who are Members of a Racial or Ethnic Minority Group

Individuals who primarily Reside in a Rural Area

Low-income

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

dclay@benton.org — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:38:11 +0000

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. Instead of expanding the FCC’s authority beyond current statutory and budgetary constraints, the FCC should address the E-Rate program’s existing problems and follow the law as written. Chairwoman Rosenworcel calls her plan “Learn without Limits,” but it really should be called “Spend without Limits.” We ask that you reject this unlawful plan to vastly expand the E-Rate program. Instead, the FCC should work with Congress, not ignore the text of section 254, to advance its policy goals. Thank you for your attention to this request, and we look forward to your response in writing by October 10, 2023.

Benton Content:

https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2023/9/sen-cruz-rep-mcmorris-rodgers-urge-fcc-co…

Teaser:

Sen. Cruz and Rep. Rodgers ask FCC Commissioner Gomez to reject “Learn without Limits” proposal.

Source:

Author:

Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)

Send date:

Thu, 09/28/2023

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 9/27/2023

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Publish Date:

Wed, 09/27/2023

Coverage Type:

Community Anchor Institutions

Children and Media

Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Telecommunications Act of 1996

Internet/Broadband

Legislation

Level of Government

Federal

Universal Service Fund

E-rate/Schools and Libraries Program

Wireless Internet

Red Light Report

benton — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 16:12:27 +0000

In June, the Biden administration allocated $42.45 billion in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding among states—the largest single pot of federal broadband spending in our country’s history. Biden officials at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) made these allocations despite repeated requests from lawmakers and communities across the country to first improve the data underlying NTIA’s funding decisions. Now that NTIA has made BEAD allocations, however, it appears that the program will waste billions of dollars in duplicative subsidies and divert funds away from truly unserved rural areas. This report analyzes the current state of BEAD funding, on a per-beneficiary basis and in the context of three other recent federal programs that already doled out $17 billion for broadband deployment. The report offers three key findings:

The Biden administration’s BEAD allocations provide ten states and territories more than $10,000 per unserved location—including a galling $547,254 per unserved location in Washington, DC
Because the BEAD program did not consider whether a location would be served in the near future through funding from a previous federal program, it allocated funding to over five million locations that are already being funded by other federal programs. If funding from other programs had been considered, seven states would have had zero unserved locations. As a result, the billions in taxpayer dollars sent to these states will be diverted to purposes other than connecting unserved Americans.
The Biden administration’s technology bias against non-fiber broadband will drive up costs by billions of dollars and likely deprive some communities of any broadband access at all. Further, some of the “unserved” locations that will receive taxpayer-subsidized fiber-to-the-home service include mansions, beachfront resort communities, and mountain vacation homes.

Benton Content:

https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/0B6D8C56-7DFD-440F-8BCC-F44857996…

Teaser:

"Forty-two billion dollars is more than enough money to deliver broadband to every American."

Source:

Senate Commerce Committee

Author:

https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2023/2/sen-cruz-announces-subcommittee-ranking-m…

Send date:

Mon, 09/18/2023

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 9/15/2023

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Publish Date:

Fri, 09/15/2023

Coverage Type:

Research

Sen. Cruz Announces Subcommittee Ranking Members for 118th Congress

dclay@benton.org — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 23:09:58 +0000

The following Republican Ranking Members for the 118th Congress:

Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation: Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS);
Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband: Sen. John Thune (R-SD);
Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight and Ports: Sen. Todd Young (R-IN);
Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change and Manufacturing: Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK);
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN);
Subcommittee on Space and Science: Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO);
Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade and Export Promotion: Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC).

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) announces the Republican Ranking Members of the 118th Congress' Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Source:

Senate Commerce Committee

Author:

https://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=5183

Send date:

Fri, 02/17/2023

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 2/16/2023

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Publish Date:

Thu, 02/16/2023

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Sen Cruz Blasts Google for ‘Transparently Politically Motivated’ Move to Target Conservative Media Outlet

Robbie McBeath — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 17:08:39 +0000

Senate Subcommittee on The Constitution Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) sent a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai raising concerns about Google's latest actions to censor political speech with which it disagrees. Following reports that The Federalist, a conservative media organization and publisher, would no longer be able to generate revenue from any advertisement served by Google Ads - allegedly because of a reader comment that violated Google's advertising policies - Sen Cruz wrote: "The recent actions of Google to ‘demonetize' a conservative media publisher, The Federalist, raise serious concerns that Google is abusing its monopoly power in an effort to censor political speech with which it disagrees." Sen Cruz also said it was deeply ironic that Google is financially punishing a website for speech that appears on its platform, as Google has defended section 230's grant of immunity to Big Tech by saying that 'the best way to protect online speech...is to allow platforms to set and enforce standards for an appropriate speech on their services, and to do so general free from...the threat of private litigation."

Benton Content:

https://www.cruz.senate.gov/files/documents/Letters/2020.06.17%20-%20Letter%20to…

https://www.multichannel.com/news/sen-cruz-hammers-google-over-comment-issue

Teaser:

In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Sen Cruz presses for answers on censorship practices.

Source:

Author:

https://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=5139

Send date:

Thu, 06/18/2020

Daily Digest:

Daily Digest 6/17/2020

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Not Available

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Publish Date:

Wed, 06/17/2020

Coverage Type:

Press Release

Censorship

Platforms

Senator Cruz Calls for Criminal Investigation Into Twitter for ‘Blatant and Willful Violation’ of U.S. Sanctions on Iran

Robbie McBeath — Fri, 29 May 2020 22:22:21 +0000

Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) called on Attorney General Bill Barr and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to investigate Twitter for willfully violating American sanctions on Iran by providing social media accounts and services to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif. Both officials are designated under Executive Order (E.O) 13876 for connections to the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran, which is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.

Benton Content:

Teaser:

Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) called on Attorney General Bill Barr and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to investigate Twitter for willfully violating American sanctions on Iran.

Source:

Author: