Today the Senate Commerce Committee quickly moved tech several bills that Republican committee leadership hope have a chance of becoming law during the Trump era. Some of the highlights:
- One bill, MOBILE Now, encourages the deployment of more wireless spectrum and is a favorite of John Thune, the committee's chair.
- Two public safety bills which both try, among other things, to make it easier to access 911.
- A bill that requires the Federal Communications Act to consolidate a number of reports on competition into one.
Bonus round: Lawmakers also advanced Trump's nominees to lead the Commerce and Transportation departments. Both positions are increasingly interacting with Silicon Valley.
Brass tacks: These are bills that were on the table in the last Congress, but didn't make it to the president's desk for signature. Thune's broader priorities for the next two years include a bipartisan compromise on the issue of net neutrality and getting broadband deployment into the Trump administration's infrastructure plan.