Week of June 13, 2022
It is a busy season on Capitol Hill as the annual appropriations and NDAA processes start moving forward. Those important undertakings will be happening in the background this week as it has been reported that a group of 20 bipartisan Senators has reached an agreement on gun-related legislation, which will be the top priority on the Senate’s legislative schedule. On the tech front, the House will begin deliberations on comprehensive privacy reform and the China competition conference committee is still searching for a bipartisan landing spot. Tampa has become the unlikely center of the hockey universe as the Lightning are headed for a run at their third consecutive Stanley Cup. While in the NBA, we will see the conclusion of the Finals as Boston and Golden State face off in their tied up series.
What We’re Watching:
Privacy Legislation Gets House Hearing: The bipartisan draft privacy legislation introduced by House Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, along with Senate Commerce Ranking Member Roger Wicker, is on the schedule for a legislative hearing at the Consumer Protection Subcommittee. The large witness panel is a mix of consumer advocacy groups and private sector industry associations, but what should be more interesting to watch will be the questions from Members of the Subcommittee. The engagement from Members at this hearing will provide a better sense of how they perceive this draft bill and whether it addresses their own priorities in a way that could garner enough votes to pass through committee.
China Competition Negotiations Go Public: Conference committee negotiations on the USICA/COMPETES legislation have been moving like molasses, to be generous, but an interesting public negotiating bit of news has surfaced. Rep. Jan Schakwosky (D-IL), a senior Member of the Energy & Commerce Committee, along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), expressed concerns about a provision in the Senate-passed USICA bill regarding the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and data security. The specific policy issue in this case is not what is most relevant, rather, it’s the fact that a Member who is publicly stating their concerns is also stating how to mitigate those concerns for their support. This is an indicator that there is real bicameral interest in getting a deal done on a China competition bill, even if the process seems slow at this point.
Tentative Gun Reform Deal Struck: It does not fit into our normal focus of “tech” policy, but the debate over gun safety has been top of everyone’s mind in the nation’s Capitol since last month’s massacre at a school in Uvalde, Texas. A bipartisan group of 20 Senators has agreed to a deal on legislation that focuses on enhanced background checks for people under 21, funding for mental health and school safety, and state grants for red flag laws. The House passed its own partisan gun reform legislation last week, however, if the Senate can pass its bipartisan bill, that would certainly become the basis for negotiations to get a final product to President Biden’s desk. This bipartisan legislation will move to the front of the line on the Senate legislative calendar and its passage will undoubtedly put pressure on the House to either pass this product or seriously negotiate with the Senate.
What’s Happening This Week:
Tech Hearings
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing on strengthening data privacy - Tuesday, June 14 at 10:30 AM ET
House Financial Services Committee markup - Tuesday, June 14 at 10:00 AM ET
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on FinCEN FY23 budget - Tuesday, June 14 at 2:30 PM ET
Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing on supply chain concerns - Wednesday, June 15 at 3:00 PM ET
Tech Events
Axios - “Watch: A conversation on crypto's rise in the investing space” - Tuesday, June 14 at 8:00 AM ET
Regulatory Transparency Project - “Regulating the New Crypto Ecosystem: Necessary Regulation or Crippling Future Innovation?” - Tuesday, June 14 at 12:00 PM ET
The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) - "Defending Western Economies Against Chinese Unfair Practices" - Tuesday, June 14 at 10:30 AM ET
The Bipartisan Policy Center - "Defining Competitiveness: Why It Matters" - Tuesday, June 14 at 11:00 AM ET
The Brookings Institution - "An inclusive future? Technological change and public policy" - Tuesday, June 14 at 12:00 PM ET
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) - "How States Can Make the Most of Broadband Funding" - Tuesday, June 14 at 1:00 PM ET
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) - "Children’s Privacy in Review: The Future of COPPA" - Wednesday, June 15 at 12:00 PM ET
The Atlantic Council - "Missing key: The challenge of cybersecurity and central bank digital currency" - Wednesday, June 15 at 12:30 PM ET
American University College of Law - "The Evolving Face of Cyber Conflict and International Law: A Futurespective" - Thursday, June 16 at 8:00 AM ET
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) - "Extending Federal Cybersecurity to the Endpoint (Report Launch)" - Thursday, June 16 at 2:30 PM ET
What’s Interesting This Week:
Happy Father’s Day! Father's Day was inaugurated in the U.S. to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fathers, fathering, and fatherhood. Father's Day was first celebrated at the Spokane YMCA on June 19, 1910.
