Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Congress is back for three weeks before another recess, with a full tech agenda and many competing priorities set against the backdrop of broader budget fights.
The big picture: For tech policy, there will be deadlines, nominations, and pressing issues left over from the last Congress as well as bigger battles in Washington.
Here's what we're watching.
TikTok: The White House is reportedly brokering a deal to change the ownership structure of TikTok ahead of an April 5 ban deadline, and it might look very similar to past data structures run by Oracle.
- Lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the divest-or-ban law passed last year, buoyed by bipartisan alarm over TikTok's perceived national security risks.
- All eyes will be on Congress, and whether members will object to or support a deal that may or may not adhere to the letter or spirit of the law.
Nominations: OSTP nominee Michael Kratsios and FTC nominee Mark Meador are ready for their respective floor votes.
- If confirmed by the Senate, Kratsios would join an office with a looming deadline to come out with an AI "action plan" and Meador would join a commission rattled by President Trump's firing of two Democratic commissioners.
- NTIA nominee Arielle Roth, who would be in charge of overhauling the Biden-era BEAD program, is set for her nomination hearing this week.
- All nominees are expected to be easily confirmed, though Senate Democrats raised alarms over the FTC firings, which could hurt Meador's vote on the Senate floor.
- FCC commissioner nominee Olivia Trusty is also awaiting a committee hearing, as FCC chair Brendan Carr aggressively pushes the agency in new directions.
Kids' online safety: A House Energy and Commerce panel will hold a hearing this week to examine bills to protect kids online that have struggled to advance to full congressional passage.
- Disagreement over the Kids Online Safety Act remains, while other bills like the TAKE IT DOWN Act are picking up steam thanks to support from the White House.
Spectrum in reconciliation: Republicans are debating whether to reauthorize the FCC's spectrum auction authority through budget reconciliation.
- Restoring that and building up a new spectrum pipeline could generate billions for the government, key Republicans say.
Artificial intelligence: Work toward AI-related bills has been thrown into question by the Trump administration's approach to AI policy.
- Senate leaders on AI are navigating what Trump wants as he and Vice President Vance push an innovation-first approach.
- For lawmakers working on AI policy, which bills will get White House support is unclear.
The bottom line: Tech-related bills that were close to passing last Congress now have the added challenges of navigating an unpredictable White House, the reconciliation fight, and upheaval at the agencies.
