House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Republican Leader Bob Latta (R-OH) last week urged Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Subcommittee Chairman Michael Doyle (D-PA) to hold an FCC oversight hearing. They seek to address what they call “the unprecedented influx of funding” to the Commission.
“It has now been over one year since the FCC has appeared before the Energy and Commerce Committee. Since then, Congress provided over $10 billion to the agency to keep Americans connected during the COVID-19 pandemic,” wrote McMorris Rodgers and Latta in a letter to Pallone and Doyle.
“Due to the lack of oversight by this Committee, we have no information about how these programs are being implemented or if they are effective. Despite this lack of information, Democrats provided an additional $25 billion to the FCC through their partisan American Rescue Plan and infrastructure packages and want to give the agency more funds in another partisan Reconciliation package,” state McMorris Rodgers and Latta.
The lawmakers called this “an unprecedented influx of funding for the FCC and not a responsible way to spend taxpayer dollars.” They’re pleased President Joe Biden has nominated candidates to fill the vacancies at the FCC. “It is now even more crucial for you to invite them to testify before this Committee,” they stated.
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