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Still thinking about this moment today during @mattfieldwood.bsky.social’s testimony before House E&C.
In response to Carr’s manufactured attacks against diversity, equity, and inclusion, Matt notes that it seems like white men are doing just fine.
And as I said 10 years ago, #TechPolicySoWhite.
I didn’t get to see the hearing live but I’ll take @alisavalentin.bsky.social’s CliffsNotes any day.
We appreciated this exchange on affordability too, @alisavalentin.bsky.social.
Strong thread from @alisavalentin.bsky.social about Telecomms Act of 1996 hearing happening today
@repgreglandsman.bsky.social says we are dealing with extreme concentrations of wealth & power, which leads to fewer choice, higher costs & lower-quality services.
He argues this moment requires Congress to have the courage to do right by consumers in the telecom sector & increase competition.
Also, @mcclellan.house.gov joined @publicknowledge.bsky.social a few weeks ago at our Telecommunications Act of 1996 at 30 event that we hosted alongside Howard University.
You can catch the recap here: publicknowledge.org/the-telecomm...
ICYMI, be sure to watch @mcclellan.house.gov's remarks about the Telecommunications Act of 1996. She has spent 25 years as an attorney in this space and has incredibly in-depth experience on these issues.
@menendez.house.gov is calling out FCC Chair Carr and rightfully arguing that the agency is being weaponized, failing to protect diverse voices in media, and prioritizing Trump's interests over what's best for the American public.
@reptroycarter.bsky.social: "We get caught up in who did what when, when our core mission, our responsibility, is to do what's best for the American people, not to see who gets a greater level of credit, not to see which party gets to pound their chest the most..."
Also, I want to go back to something O'Reilly said earlier on favoring appropriations on USF.
Congress needs to better ground the Universal Service Fund in the principles of predictability and sustainability, and not shift it into the uncertainty of the annual appropriations process.
@mattfieldwood.bsky.social also had an exchange with Rep. Peters re: Lifeline.
Recently, @publicknowledge.bsky.social , @freepress.bsky.social, etc. encouraged the FCC to modernize the program to meet the needs of consumers b/c current proposals threaten participation.
www.fcc.gov/ecfs/documen...
Additionally, @repraulruizmd.bsky.social, discussed how in classrooms in his district, teachers have to print out video scenes to describe what a video would show if they had sufficient broadband in their schools.
As he said, "That is just not acceptable in the United States of America."
In response to questioning by @repraulruizmd.bsky.social , @mattfieldwood.bsky.social says we must prioritize broadband affordability.
@publicknowledge.bsky.social agrees. We have long discussed the importance of broadband affordability as seen here: publicknowledge.org/a-sustainabl...
@repdarrensoto.bsky.social is rightfully calling out the delay of the BEAD program as well.
He says the Trump administration's goal of "streamlining deployment" is a "joke" because here we sit 15 months later.
@mattfieldwood.bsky.social states that "every day delayed is a day not connected."
@pallone.house.gov says that he believes the Trump administration is sabotaging the BEAD program by prioritizing the cheapest technologies for short-term savings instead of being focused on long-term productivity and economic growth.
Me when @mattfieldwood.bsky.social said: "[FCC Chair Brendan Carr] imagines invidious harms to people who look like him, yet looking at this panel, I'd say white men still have a shot in this field."
Also, @mattfieldwood.bsky.social tells House E&C "I find it funny how" (in so many words) that the Rs spent A LOT of time complaining about delays to the BEAD program and yet...here we sit...delay, delay, delay.
@mattfieldwood.bsky.social of @freepress.bsky.social rightfully calls out that FCC Chair Carr is not doing enough to ensure people are connected to affordable broadband and instead making it more difficult, as seen in recent proposals, to access the Lifeline program that sits at a $9.25 subsidy.
The @housecommerce.bsky.social hearing about the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is underway. Congress should focus on what matters: guaranteeing everyone has access to affordable, reliable broadband and ensuring the FCC can carry out its mission without political interference and weaponization.
Thank you to everyone who attended “Telecommunications Act of 1996 at 30: An Analysis of Policy, Power, and the Public Interest” at Howard University on Tuesday.
It was so great to hear from @mcclellan.house.gov and all of our amazing speakers.
It was also great to be back at my alma mater! H-U!
Join us today at 2pm ET!
We'll also be joined by @mcclellan.house.gov, policy advocates & academics as we examine how past frameworks influence the public interest issues of today. RSVP today to join us at the Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library on Feb 24. at 3 p.m.
www.eventbrite.com/e/the-teleco...
Today, Feb. 24th at 3:00 p.m., join @publicknowledge.bsky.social and the Cathy Hughes School of Communications Department of Communications Studies at @howard.edu for a landmark discussion celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996!
www.eventbrite.com/e/the-teleco...
Graphic with Public Knowledge and Howard University logo. Text that reads, "The Telecommunications Act of 1996 at 30: An Analysis of Policy, Power, and the Public Interest. Tuesday, February 24, 2026. 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM ET. Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library. 4th Floor Open Space Atrium. 501 W. Street, NW Washington, DC 20059"
On Tuesday Feb. 24 at 3:00 p.m., join @publicknowledge.bsky.social and the Cathy Hughes School of Communications Department of Communications Studies at @howard.edu for a landmark discussion celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996!
"Too often, ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ rhetoric is used as a political shield to sidestep meaningful reform and instead revives debates about ‘deservingness’ to distract from what is truly at stake." Read our statement from Broadband Po.icy Director @alisavalentin.bsky.social:
Today, the FCC voted to adopt a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on Lifeline program reforms that risk making enrollment and participation more complicated, more surveilled, and more punitive in an already underutilized program.
