Week of May 6, 2024
State of Play: The House and Senate are in Washington this week with the hefty task of passing the FAA reauthorization before Friday’s deadline. Last week was filled with highs and lows of possible non-germane amendments, such as children’s privacy bills and stablecoin legislation, that could be tacked onto what Leader Schumer has referred to as the “last big vehicle” for legislative action this Congress. After FAA reauthorization, Congress will see a smooth-sailing summer before the September 30 deadline to fund the federal government. For now, it appears that FAA reauthorization will be a clean bill to garner the support it needs to pass both chambers.
What to Watch:
Cybersecurity’s biggest event of the year takes place this week at RSA in San Francisco, and federal officials and Members will attend to hear and speak on the latest developments on national security and cybersecurity.
The Biden Administration is set to issue a new international cybersecurity coordination plan today in order to better tackle recent onslaughts of cyberattacks from foreign adversaries.
Speaker Johnson could face a motion-to-vacate today from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), but Democrats have already vowed to table the motion if it comes to fruition.
On Tap: The House Judiciary IP Subcommittee will take on the federal government's IP enforcement actions. The Senate Commerce Consumer Protection Subcommittee will examine data security and the need for cybersecurity protection measures on consumer data. The House Financial Services National Security Subcommittee will do a deep-dive on the National Defense Production Act.
What We’re Watching:
Federal IP Actions In View: The House Judiciary IP Subcommittee will hear from several government officials on Tuesday, including the Department of Justice, the DHS National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, as well as the Customs and Border Protection Trade Policy and Programs Directorate, on enforcement actions regarding U.S. intellectual property security. The topic has been top of mind for Subcommittee Chair Darrell Issa (R-CA), who has held a series of panels on the need to better safeguard U.S. IP in the name of national security, particularly as it relates to China competition concerns and actions to stop illegal counterfeiting. AI will likely be a primary topic of discussion as well, given its prominence in the discussion of IP concerns.
Senate Commerce Zeros in on Data Security: The Senate Commerce Consumer Protection Subcommittee will hear from industry representatives and stakeholders Wednesday on ways to ensure data security of sensitive consumer data. The hearing will likely focus on mitigation efforts from private companies, including the need for data minimization standards on what information can be collected, stored, and legally sold. There has been a lot of action on data security in the past few weeks in the wake of the Change Healthcare data breach, and Members remain keen on ways to ensure the companies that hold consumer data are cybersecure from attacks.
House Financial Services to Examine DPA Reauthorization: The House Financial Services National Security Subcommittee will hold part two of their hearing series on the Defense Production Act, and hammer on the need for reporting measures before another reauthorization next year. Individuals from DOD, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) will be testifying on how the DPA is currently being deployed for national security. Topics around outbound investment, as well as AI and chips production, will also likely come up.
What’s Happening This Week:
Tech Hearings
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet hearing on Intellectual Property: Enforcement Activities by the Executive Branch - Tuesday, May 7 at 10:00 AM ET
House Foreign Affairs hearing on Reviewing DFC’s Efforts to Out Compete China’s BRI - Tuesday, May 7 at 2:00 PM ET
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security hearing to examine strengthening data security to protect consumers - Wednesday, May 8 at 2:30 PM ET
HFSC Capital Markets Subcommittee hearing on SEC Enforcement - Tuesday, May 7 at 10:00 AM ET
The House Financial Services National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Subcommittee holds a hearing on "Mission Critical: Restoring National Security as the Focus of Defense Production Act Reauthorization, Part II" - Wednesday, May 8 at 2:00 PM ET
Tech Events
SIP Forum - AI Summit 2024: The Role and Impact of AI in the Telecom Industry - Monday, May 6 - Wednesday, May 8
AEI - Beyond the SCIF: A Conversation with Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) on AI and Biosecurity - Monday, May 6 at 11:00 AM ET
Freedom House - The Consolidation of Digital Authoritarianism and Looming Threat of Artificial Intelligence - Monday, May 6 at 1:30 PM ET
Nextgov/FCW and Route Fifty - Cyber Summit 2024 - Tuesday, May 7 at 8:30 AM ET
Special Competitive Studies Project - AI Expo for National Competitiveness - Tuesday, May 7 - May 8
What’s Interesting This Week:
What's the Wifi Password … On May 10, 1894, “Wireless” was born when Guglielmo Marconi sent a radio wave three-quarters of a mile. Three years later the Marconi Company will successfully communicate “ship to shore” over a distance of twelve miles. Marconi’s work led to the commercialization and proliferation of most of the radio technologies we know today.
