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Law360 (July 9, 2020, 6:40 PM EDT) -- A House budget panel has approved a boost for the Federal Communications Commission's budget and an extra $60 billion in emergency funding to expand broadband access during the pandemic, a proposal that drew Republican protests.
The fiscal year 2021 appropriations bill covering the FCC won subcommittee approval Wednesday on a voice vote, meaning there was no tally of individual representatives' positions. Although lawmakers of both parties generally support expanding broadband access, a Republican leader argued against providing tens of billions of dollars in emergency appropriations that evade overall funding limits.
Democratic lawmakers tied the extra funding to the coronavirus pandemic that has left Americans more reliant on home internet service than ever before for work, school and much more. The provision for "broadband infrastructure grants" would set up competitive bidding among internet providers to expand access in unserved and underserved areas through 2025.
"This bill is about protecting hardworking families, workers, and small businesses, who are facing serious hardship because of the coronavirus," Appropriations Committee Chair Nita M. Lowey, D-N.Y., said in a statement. "Our bill includes strong emergency funding to expand broadband to unserved communities, bringing connectivity across our nation."
The subcommittee's Democratic chairman, Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois, said the proposal would help the government "ensure equal internet access."
However, the committee's top Republican took issue with the plan to use emergency funding that goes outside the constraints of the normal budget process.
"It is not clear why this staggering level of spending has been added to this annual appropriations bill. This is not supposed to be a long-term economic stimulus bill," said Rep. Kay Granger of Texas. "It is also troubling that members on our side of the aisle were not consulted on its development."
The bill could see changes in the coming months as it works its way through the full committee and the full House. Once the GOP-led Senate approves its own appropriations proposals, the two chambers will conference to hammer out a compromise that goes to President Donald Trump.
The House plan gives the FCC a 10.9% boost over its current funding level, offering an agency budget of $376.1 million — nearly 10% more than the Trump administration requested.
The bill also would provide money to implement two telecom laws the president signed in March.
There's $1 billion to carry out the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, which creates a blacklist including Chinese companies and others deemed threats to national security while letting the FCC give subsidies to small carriers to aid their transition away from Chinese equipment.
The FCC would get an extra $40 million to carry out the Broadband DATA Act, which changed the way the agency collects and verifies mapping data.
Policy provisions include a Democratic attempt to block funding to carry out Trump's May 28 executive order targeting big tech companies over "online censorship" after Twitter flagged Trump tweets as misleading.
--Editing by Jay Jackson Jr.
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