Insights: Policy

Tech / Media / Telecom

National Broadcast Cap, Nexstar/TEGNA

The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing this week on the FCC’s Broadcast Ownership Rules and the 39% national TV ownership cap. Sen. Cruz (R-TX), who as Chair of the Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the FCC, expressed reservations about the FCC changing the cap via regulation. This comes in the context of FCC Chair Carr and...

Tech / Media / Telecom

Social Media/Minors

A bipartisan set of House members have introduced legislation to ban social media use among minors, which builds upon a companion bill passing on a nearly unanimous basis in the Senate Commerce Committee last year. This comes alongside pre-existing legislative efforts to address a variety of children’s online safety and privacy issues. The...

Funding for all parts of the government is in place through the end of FY26 on 9/30, except for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which contains ICE, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard. Temporary DHS funding expires tomorrow, at which point a shutdown of operations will occur. The White House and Senate...

IEEPA Tariffs/Congress

The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) statute gives Congress the opportunity to pass a resolution on a privileged basis (i.e., expedited consideration, 50 rather than 60 vote threshold in the Senate) that negates actions (including tariffs) taken under its authority. The Senate has passed multiple resolutions to overturn various...

Tech / Media / Telecom

Advanced Semiconductors

Tensions continue to intensify between the Trump administration and China hawks in Congress over the White House’s willingness to allow U.S. firms to sell advanced semiconductors to China. This was reflected most recently when the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) overwhelmingly approved a bill that would restrict the administration’s...

Energy, Tech / Media / Telecom

President Trump has somewhat shifted his message on data centers from last year’s focus on facilitating their buildout and ensuring power supply in order to “win the AI race with China” to now emphasizing that “Big Tech” should “pay their own way.” Congressional Republicans also recognize voter concern on this issue, which is reflecting in the...