D.C. Memo: Roth Approved by Commerce Committee Ahead of Senate Floor Vote
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Roth: The Senate Commerce Committee voted yesterday to approve Arielle Roth as NTIA Administrator. If she’s confirmed by the full Senate – an outcome that’s probably just a few weeks away – Roth will have a big role in carrying out Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s plan to overhaul the $42.45 billion BEAD program. The vote was 16-12, with every committee Democrat opposing Roth except for Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who originally voted no by proxy (meaning he wasn’t in the hearing room) before casting a yes vote, again by proxy. The panel’s ranking member, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), said she could not support Roth because Roth declined to say she would defend the Biden administration’s 2023 state-by-state allocation of BEAD in funding. “Ms. Roth refused to commit to honor the agreements that NTIA has already made with states and tribes,” Cantwell said. “She had the opportunity to continue to answer those questions for the record. We do not see the evidence of that commitment.” Changing the allocations is a likely outcome – South Caroline is just months away from being fully connected before receiving a penny of its $551.5 million BEAD allocation, and Rhode Island is unlikely to need its full $108 million from BEAD to connect just 2,879 eligible locations at $37,500 per location on average. Cantwell also voiced concerns about conflicts of interest involving Elon Musk, whose Starlink satellite Internet service is reportedly in line to receive many billions more in BEAD grants under Lutnick’s course correction. Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) dismissed Cantwell’s concerns as misplaced in strongly backing Roth. “To my Democrat colleagues, while you may have strenuous objections to the direction of the Trump administration, know that Arielle is thoughtful, honest, and as receptive to the concerns of your side of the aisle as any nominee we’ll have before us. We all know the importance of knowing a person in the executive branch whom we can call on and trust to listen to our views,” Cruz said. Roth gave birth to her sixth child early Wednesday morning. “I don't know if her daughter has been named yet, but I'm sure that little BEAD will be a beautiful young girl,” Cruz said.
