Week of May 22, 2023
The House and Senate have staggered recess schedules around the Memorial Day holiday, so the more deliberative body is in recess this week while the House has its usual packed schedule on the floor and in committee. The debt ceiling negotiations remain at the top of the headlines in your nation’s capital, as President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (D-CA) set for a one-on-one meeting today, with the supposed hard deadline of June 1 just over a week away.Senate Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) issued an APB that senators will have to report back to Washington within 24 notice if a compromise is reached this week, and then passed by the House.
What We’re Watching:
Supreme Court Avoids Section 230 Rulings, For Now: The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Google and Twitter in two closely watched cases that questioned the scope and applicability of Section 230. In an unsigned opinion, the Court sidestepped the Section 230 argument, noting that they would not “address the application of Section 230 to a complaint that appears to state little, if any, plausible claim for relief.” Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas issued the Court’s unanimous opinion, noting that social media platforms ought not to be held responsible under U.S. terrorism law. The opinion reads, “To be sure, plaintiffs assert that defendants’ ‘recommendation’ algorithms go beyond passive aid and constitute active, substantial assistance. We disagree.” From a legislative perspective, these rulings will not practically alter the prospects for legislation in Congress, so our expectation continues to be that both chambers are likely to pass some type of CDA 230 related legislation in the 118th Congress.
Leaders Discuss China, Emerging Tech Concerns at G7 Summit: Leaders that make up the G7 summit held their annual summit over the weekend in Hiroshima, Japan, and China proved to be a hot topic of conversation. President Biden is said to have fostered support for an executive order creating an outbound investment review regime. Additionally, leaders talked about emerging tech competition, and possible implications of China leading efforts in AI, quantum, and biotechnical advances. The summit served as a forum for leaders to discuss how other nations plan to proceed with China regarding the political and economic implications, including a milder approach to decoupling from Chinese companies, of de-risking.
House Energy and Commerce Hearing on NTIA Oversight: The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will be hosting an oversight hearing of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding its reauthorization for FY24. While NTIA is often thought of as a primary overseer of broadband technology, which will surely be discussed during the hearing, Member’s will focus on several other priorities launched by NTIA including its recent request for comment on AI implementation, communications antitrust concerns, American competition in communications technology, and internet identification issues.
What’s Happening This Week:
Tech Hearings
Tech Events
Atlantic Council - “Cybersecurity creates new horizons for Abraham Accords” - Tuesday, May 23 at 9:00 AM ET
The Brookings Institution - "The Fed: Lessons learned from the past three years" - Tuesday, May 23 at 9:30 AM ET
The Hudson Institute - "U.S. Leadership in Tech Diplomacy" - Wednesday, May 24 at 9:30 AM ET
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research - "Where's the Broadband Money Going? Tracking Impact and Accountability" - Wednesday, May 24 at 1:00 PM ET
GSA - meeting of the Federal Secure Cloud Advisory Committee - Thursday, May 25 at 9:30 AM ET
The Women's Foreign Policy Group - "International Principles of Responsible Artificial Intelligence" - Thursday, May 25 at 6:00 PM ET
The Cato Institute - "Five Years of EU's General Data Protection Regulation: Impact and Lessons Learned" - Thursday, May 25 at 12:00 PM ET
What’s Interesting This Week:
Return of the Jedi….. On May 25, 1983, the third installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi, was released six years to the day after the first Star Wars movie. Return of the Jedi continued to raise the bar in special effects technology that its predecessors set. The film’s final space battle, for example, was of a size and scale unprecedented at the time.
