Week of May 30, 2023
We hope that everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend that involved some combination of parades, memorial ceremonies, pool parties, or cookouts. For those of you who like to honor our fallen service members via push-ups and pull-ups, this is an enjoyable story about how “The Murph” workout has become an annual Memorial Day tradition for many.
That audible groan that you may have heard coming from the south side of Capitol Hill was due to this week’s scheduled House recess being canceled so that Congress can pass the debt ceiling package that was finally agreed upon by President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
The current timeline for the debt deal will involve passage in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 31, and then it will be on track to pass the Senate and be signed by the President prior to June 5.
What We’re Watching:
China’s Micron Ban Sparks U.S. Backlash: After the Cyberspace Administration of China announced that it will ban large firms within its borders from buying technology from U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology Inc., suggesting it poses “significant security risks” to Chinese national security, U.S. agencies and businesses are pushing back on the move. The Commerce Department responded strongly to the move, suggesting that “we firmly oppose restrictions that have no basis in fact.” Secretary Raimondo over the weekend affirmed that “we won’t tolerate” these restrictions and signaled that they likely not hold. Several lawmakers including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Select Committee on the CCP Chair Mike Gallagher (R-WI) responded to the move, calling the behavior "unacceptable and unproductive."
FCC Nominations Merry-Go-Round: Following the nearly two years of gridlock of Federal Communications Commission nominee Gigi Sohn, President Joe Biden nominated telecommunications lawyer and State Department communications policy adviser Anna Gomez to complete the FCC’s bench. It appears that Gomez will not face the same level of opposition as Sohn did from Senate Republicans, but the real test will be at her upcoming nomination hearing where she will be asked about a myriad of pending telecom issues including spectrum authority, broadband, and issues pertaining to the universal service fund.
U.S.-EU TCC Prepares for Big Tech Talks: The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council will meet this week in Sweden to discuss global cooperation on several issues ranging from AI, quantum, data privacy and more. The TTC is co-lead by Commerce Secretary Raimondo along with USTR Katherine Tai, and Secretary of State Blinken, and serves as a forum for convergence on several U.S-EU-related tech issues, such the joint Data Privacy Framework to address transatlantic data flows. Data privacy is sure to be a priority during the meeting following the EU’s unprecedented fine against Meta for misuse of European user data. Business leaders with vested interests in U.S.-EU cooperation has expressed urgency on certain topics. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and European-equivalent Business Europe, even issued a joint letter calling for agreement and interoperability trustworthy AI, semiconductor manufacturing policy, and cybersecurity.
What’s Happening This Week:
Tech Hearings
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee hearing on "Securing the Nation: Modernizing DHS's Mission-Critical Legacy IT Systems" - Wednesday, May 31 at 10:00 AM ET
Senate Banking hearing on “to examine countering China, focusing on advancing U.S. national security, economic security, and foreign policy” - Wednesday, May 31 at 10:00 AM ET
Tech Events
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation - "Further Energizing Innovation: Assessing the Federal Energy RD&D (research, development, and demonstration) Budget for FY2024 and Beyond” - Tuesday, May 30 at 12:00 PM ET
The National Association of Business Economics - "Monetary Policy and Outlook" - Wednesday, May 30 at 1:00 PM ET
The Atlantic Council - "Telegram, WeChat, and WhatsApp Usage in the United States: Trends and Implications of Messaging App Usage," focusing on "how misinformation and disinformation narratives spread on peer-to-peer messaging apps" - Tuesday, May 30 at 2:00 PM ET
The Peterson Institute for International Economics and the International Monetary Fund - "Rethinking Fiscal Policy: Global Perspectives" - Tuesday, May 30 at 7:00 PM ET
The Center for Strategic and International Studies - "U.S. Diplomacy and Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act" - Tuesday, May 30 at 2:00 PM ET
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the Hudson Institute and Duke University - "The Importance of the Innovation Ecosystem," focusing on intellectual property rights - Wednesday, May 31 at 9:45 AM ET
The Atlantic Council - "the integration of gender equity into practical and scalable applications of AI focused on international development and humanitarian assistance" - Wednesday, May 31 at 10:00 AM ET
The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs - "Science and Technology Diplomacy" - Wednesday, May 31 at 10:00 AM ET
U.S. Copyright Office - Listening Session on AI and Music and Sound Recordings - Wednesday, May 31 at 1:00 PM ET
What’s Interesting This Week:
Fender Bender….. On May 30, 1896, the first auto accident on record occurred in New York City when a Duryea Motor Wagon driven by Henry Wells collided with a bicycle ridden by Evylyn Thomas. New Yorkers probably accused Henry of being from Jersey, but he was actually from Massachusetts.
