Week of May 9, 2022
It was a good weekend for those who took the 80-1 odds on Rich Strike at the Kentucky Derby, and the hometown Washington Capitals returned to their home ice with a 2-1 lead in their playoff series against the Panthers. The House and Senate are back in session to deal with budget and appropriations matters but following last week’s unprecedented leak of the Supreme Court ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade, the political ripple effects of this eventual ruling are sure to consume most of Washington’s attention.
What We’re Watching:
FTC’s Antitrust Push: The FTC continues to push their antitrust agenda despite not having a majority to act. This week concludes the last of four listening sessions, held jointly by the FTC and the DOJ Antitrust Division, on the impact of mergers and acquisitions on competition. Saving the best for last - the focus of the final forum will be on the tech industry. These listening sessions have provided insights into how FTC Chair Lina Khan would likely proceed if Alvaro Bedoya is confirmed, which would give Khan a working majority of the Commission with which to enact her agenda.
Tech User Fee Bill Scheduled in Senate Commerce: The Senate Commerce Committee is holding a markup on S. 2427, the FAIR Contributions Act. The bill would require the FCC to study the feasibility of funding the Universal Service Fund through contributions from edge providers. This is where it gets interesting – “edge providers” is very broadly defined to include search engines, social media platforms, streaming services, app stores, cloud computing services, and e-commerce platforms. The bill is championed by the committee’s Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS) and has an uphill climb but the fact that it is being given markup time indicates a bi-partisan interest in finding new ways to tax Internet companies and their users.
Privacy Talks Heat Up (But Don’t Tell Anyone): Rumors have been circulating this year about the likelihood that Congress can find a path forward on privacy reform legislation, and talks have recently begun to heat up at the leadership levels of the Senate Commerce and House E&C Committees. Legislative text and draft bills have been circulating from both sides of the aisle in the 117th Congress; however, there have now been multiple confirmations from the Hill that principals in the House and Senate are negotiating in earnest to find a “deal” before the window closes on this current legislative session. A healthy dose of skepticism is a good thing when considering any rumor but confirmation from multiple sources on both sides of the aisle make this effort seem legitimate even if its success is not guaranteed.
What’s Happening This Week:
Hearings
Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing on Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) - Tuesday, May 10 at 10:00 AM ET
Senate Commerce markup on the FAIR Contribution Act and other bills - Wednesday, May 11 at 10:00 AM ET
House Science, Space, and Technology hearing on open-source software cybersecurity - Wednesday, May 11 at 10:00 AM ET
House Financial Services hearing on FSOC - Thursday, May 12 at 10:00 AM ET
Senate Homeland Security hearing on procurement - Thursday, May 12 at 10:15 AM ET
House Appropriations hearing on Department of Energy Science and Energy Programs FY23 budget - Thursday, May 12 at 2:30 PM ET
House Armed Services hearing on Department of Defense Science and Technology Programs FY23 Budget - Thursday, May 12 at 4:30 PM ET
House Financial Services hearing on using AI in regtech - Friday, May 13 at 9:00 AM ET
Tech Events
FTC and Justice Department Listening Forum on Firsthand Effects of Mergers and Acquisitions: Technology - Thursday, May 12 at 2:00 PM ET
Artificial Intelligence Commission on Competitiveness, Inclusion, and Innovation (Palo Alto, CA) meeting - Monday, May 9 at 10:00 AM ET
Small Business Administration (SBA) - Intellectual Property Basics with the US Patent & Trademark Office - Tuesday, May 10 at 8:00 AM ET
Woodrow Wilson Center - "Latin American Digital Leaders on the Future of Digital Media" - Monday, May 9 at 12:00 PM ET
The Fed Summits - "Lessons Learned from Automation Success: Identifying What and When to Automate" - May 10 at 11:30 AM ET
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) - "A Digital Dollar? Promises and Pitfalls" - Thursday, May 12 at 9:00 AM ET
The Brookings Institution - "Forensic algorithms: The future of technology in the US legal system" - May 12 at 11:00 AM ET
The Fed Summits - "One Year In: the Executive Order and Securing Software Supply Chains" - Thursday, May 12 at 1:30 PM ET
The Fed Summits - "Zero Trust Lab Presentation" - Friday, May 13 at 11:00 AM ET
What’s Interesting This Week:
Staffers get a raise: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a minimum annual salary of $45,000 for House staffers. The new pay increase will go into effect on September 1, 2022.
