Chairman Cruz: U.S. Must Remain Leader in Next Generation Communications

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In his opening statement at today's Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, "Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission," Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stressed that for the U.S. to remain the world leader in next-generation communications and connectivity, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must prioritize faster broadband deployment, eliminate unnecessary regulations, and modernize global satellite licensing.

Sen. Cruz highlighted that Senate Republicans, in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, authored and passed into law the establishment of a spectrum pipeline that restored the FCC's auction authority and unlocked 800 MHz of spectrum for commercial innovation. The last Senate Commerce oversight hearing with all FCC commissioners in attendance took place on June 24, 2020, during the chairmanship of Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Here are Sen. Cruz's remarks as delivered:

"Good morning. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will come to order.

"Welcome to today's hearing, Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC plays a critical role in the lives of everyday Americans. From TV and radio broadcasting, to cellular and satellite communications and internet connectivity, the Commission sits at the center of the services and technologies that power Americans' daily lives, that project American leadership and influence across the globe, and that form the backbone of our national economy. In other words, the Commission's work is kind of a big deal.

"So, I am pleased we are joined today by our witnesses, Chairman Carr and Commissioners Trusty and Gomez, for this important hearing, and especially pleased they agree to be and that this is the first FCC oversight hearing this committee has held since 2020. I believe Commissioner Trusty was sitting right here staffing- then-Chairman Wicker at that hearing, and so commissioner it is nice to see you have moved 30 feet to the other side of the dias.

"We have lots of important ground to cover today. The pace of change in just the last year-let alone since the last FCC oversight hearing by this committee-has been astounding. We've seen the deployment of 5G and early groundwork for 6G, major advancements in the satellite industry, particularly the growth of low-earth orbit high-speed internet, AI, and seismic shifts across the media landscape.

"And we have seen the enactment of President Trump's Working Families Tax Cut Act, which not only reinstated spectrum auction authority for the FCC for the next decade, but contained the largest single spectrum pipeline, 800 MHz, ever enacted into law. This will raise billions of dollars for the taxpayer, it will stimulate billions more in private sector investment as U.S. companies bring faster and cheaper Internet to more Americans, and it will lay the foundation for countless technological innovations. These benefits will be felt nationwide, and indeed worldwide, across multiple generations of Americans.

"On day one of the new administration, the FCC, under Chairman Carr, hit the ground running and already has an impressive list of accomplishments to show. These include the Delete, Delete, Delete docket, which continues to clear out the regulatory underbrush; ensuring the integrity of the Universal Service Programs and preventing fraud by illegal aliens; reforming the FCC's satellite licensing regime to help bolster America's position as the global leader in space commerce; streamlining permitting to speed broadband build out; and moving at lighting speed to implement the new spectrum pipeline, already teeing up 100 MHz of valuable C-Band spectrum to be auctioned for commercial use in the near future. But there is plenty more work to be done.

"Given the rapid pace of evolution in technology and telecommunications, it is a wonder that the legal regime governing these issues, and the Commission's role in regulating them, has largely not been updated since 1996. And there are any number of issues-from the utility of the so called "public interest standard" in the modern era, to retransmission consent rules in the streaming era, to the current media ownership caps-where a statutory update might be worthwhile.

"The world of today, with mobile computers in every pocket and artificial intelligence becoming exponentially more capable, is markedly different from the time when cell phones were the size of footballs when Gordon Gekko walked on the beach holding a brick to the side of his head, and from the time AOL was on the leading edge of internet connectivity. We live in a different world and it is worth considering whether Congress should revisit the Communications Act and update it for the modern age.

"On the public interest standard in particular, if my colleagues across the aisle do what many expect today and hammer the Chairman over their newfound religion on the First Amendment and free speech, I will be obliged to point out that those concerns were miraculously absent when the Biden administration was pressuring Big Tech to silence Americans for "wrongthink" on COVID and election security. It will underscore a simple truth: that the public interest standard and its wretched offspring like the "news distortion rule" have outlived whatever utility they once had and it is long past time for Congress to pass reforms.

"I am grateful to our witnesses for being here today to talk about what the FCC is doing and how to address some of these important issues. The energy and focus Chairman Carr has brought to the Commission in just the first year has been productive and refreshing. I am excited for what the next several years will bring."

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