WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives today passed Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement (SALE) Act. The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to release previously auctioned spectrum in order to expand broadband access to rural communities. 

“I’m thankful that the House has sent this bill to the president’s desk so that the job providers who depend on wireless communications in Louisiana and across America can continue to support rural economies. My 5G SALE Act provides Americans with access to broadband by giving the FCC the authority to finish transferring previously auctioned spectrum to companies that offer 5G coverage,” said Kennedy. 

The Senate passed Kennedy’s legislation this September.

The 5G SALE Act would temporarily grant the FCC auction authority it needs to complete spectrum transfers, which would allow broadband services to provide greater 5G network coverage to Americans in rural areas.

Background:

In 2022, the FCC auctioned off roughly 8,000 licenses to grant companies access to America’s broadband spectrum. These licenses are the only way companies can legally use the radio waves that deliver 5G to customers. These wavelengths are therefore highly valuable.

During the period between when companies paid for their licenses and when the FCC should have parceled the licenses out, Congress failed to reauthorize the FCC’s ability to auction off licenses altogether. Now, each company that bought spectrum in that auction is waiting to receive its transfer. Despite payments being complete, the FCC says it no longer has the authority to grant those licenses. 

Kennedy’s legislation would grant the FCC a one-time, temporary authority to issue licenses purchased in auctions that were held before March 9, 2023 (when the FCC’s Congressional authorization ended).

Kennedy questioned FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing about the commission’s lapsed authority to transfer spectrum licenses already sold at auction.

Full text of the 5G SALE Act is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in urging committee chairman Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to hold hearings that address the nation’s economic challenges after two credit agencies, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings, reported a negative outlook on U.S. creditworthiness.

A Penn Wharton Budget Model study also found that the window to take corrective fiscal action is closing rapidly and that, once it closes, no amount of tax increases or spending cuts could avoid a government default.

“Our current national debt is $33.7 trillion. This is equivalent to over 123 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Moreover, we continue to add to our unprecedented national debt at a record clip. The United States Treasury Department recently reported that the federal government ran a fiscal year 2023 deficit of $1.7 trillion. At 6.3 percent of GDP, the FY 2023 deficit was larger than all but six deficits recorded since 1946. Furthermore, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that over the next decade deficits will persist at levels previously uncommon outside of war or recession—totaling nearly $19 trillion in deficit spending through 2033,” wrote the senators.

“Under your chairmanship, the Senate Committee on the Budget has dedicated significant time and attention to climate issues, holding 12 separate hearings on climate change this year alone. We implore you to direct the Committee’s agenda to the impending budgetary and fiscal crisis facing our nation—issues at the heart of this committee’s jurisdiction. There’s no time to spare,” they continued.

“Tough conversations on our nation’s fiscal health need to be had to preserve our nation’s economic strength. If we want to be the global leader in the economic marketplace, then we need to lead from the front with strong fiscal responsibility,” the lawmakers concluded. 

Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) also signed the letter.

The full letter is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $8,156,833 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid.

“As Louisianians continue to recover from Hurricanes Laura and Ida, this $8.2 million will support that recovery in Orleans Parish, Lake Charles and at the Louisiana Children’s Medical Center,” said Kennedy.

The FEMA aid will fund the following:

• $5,175,735 to the Orleans Parish School Board for emergency protective measures as a result of Hurricane Ida.

• $1,830,489 to Louisiana Children’s Medical Center for emergency protective measures as a result of Hurricane Ida.

• $1,150,609 to the city of Lake Charles for damages to the College Oaks Recreation Center as a result of Hurricane Laura.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J) in demanding that the Biden administration’s Health and Human Services (HHS) withdrawal its proposed rule targeting pregnancy centers.   

The proposed rule would limit states’ ability to allocate funding provided through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for alternatives to abortion and pregnancy centers. 

“Women deserve better than abortion and should receive support when they choose life for their babies. For decades, pregnancy centers have stood in the gap and generously provided free assistance to women, babies, and families in their moments of need—actions aligned with TANF’s purposes. The Proposed Rule, however, would undermine the TANF program and threaten to strip millions of dollars in support for pregnant women and their unborn babies through pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and alternatives to abortion programs. We urge you to withdraw the Proposed Rule immediately,” the lawmakers wrote. 

“Under the Proposed Rule if any TANF expenditure ‘is identified that does not appear to HHS to be reasonably calculated to accomplish a purpose of TANF,’ the State is required to ‘show that it used these funds for a purpose or purposes that a reasonable person would consider to be within one or more of the four purposes of the TANF program.’ While we share the administration’s goal of improving program integrity in TANF, we are concerned that the Proposed Rule focuses specifically on States that direct TANF funds to pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs,” they continued.

“Chillingly, HHS suggests TANF support for pregnancy centers should be steered toward family planning programs more typical of the business models of Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry instead. Specifically, HHS states TANF funds should be directed to ‘comprehensive sex education, family planning services, pregnancy prevention programs, and community mobilization services for at risk youth that increase access to pregnancy prevention programs for teens.’ This seems to be another attempt by the Biden administration to funnel taxpayer dollars to the abortion industry,” they concluded. 

Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and 19 members of the House of Representatives also signed the letter.

The full letter is available here.