Frank Pallone

The risks to viewers and listeners is too grave. As we are seeing, disaster can strike at any moment.

This will be the second time in the last decade that the TV industry has been repacked into a smaller portion of the spectrum.

Finally, it's time for the Senate to pass the SANDy Act.

So I introduced the SANDy Act, which would help wireless carriers keep their towers operating during an emergency.

It expired. And I begged him and Democrats begged him at the time to renew, and he refused.

I have had a bill for years to try to get the Superfund, the trust fund, if you will.

I know firsthand of the immense devastation caused by such natural disasters. In 2012, my district was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.

The Trump administration's ongoing efforts to weaken environmental health protections, attack fundamental science, and also to propose extreme budget and staff reductions will do nothing, in my opinion, but undermine EPA's efforts to…

I don't want to keep repeating all the budget cuts that the Trump administration has proposed to the EPA.

The Trump budget would slash EPA's budget by nearly $2.6 billion.

The Trump EPA is waging an aggressive rollback of environmental and human health protections.

I am deeply troubled by the direction of the Agency under the Trump administration.

Just unbelievable cuts. This included the Chemical Safety Board, the independent Federal Agency tasked with investigating chemical accidents.

Sadly, this administration, the Trump administration, is aggressively working to dismantle the EPA through regulatory rollbacks, extreme budget cuts, and staff eliminations.

The need for a strong, robust EPA is outstandingly clear, and massive budget and workforce cuts... are not the answer.

It was essentially stopped by the Republican Congress, but not to say that they are totally to blame.

It has been a week and a half since Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, and as the scope of the environmental disaster only begins to become known, thousands remain displaced, their homes and businesses flooded.

This is not acceptable and this is what needs oversight. The ongoing crisis unfolding on the Gulf Coast demonstrates the dangers of the Trump administration's extreme assault on environmental protection.

It is so important that our committee consider the extension of SNPs, as they are often called, and any related policy changes with the program closely.

To date, most of the FCC's actions have ignored the needs of consumers.

While I am glad you are here, this hearing should have occurred months ago.

Last week, I introduced the Viewer Protection Act, and this bill would provide extra funds for the incentive auction repacking process to ensure that consumers don't lose access to the local stations that they can rely on.

I plan to file comments at the FCC in the next few weeks that explain how maintaining net neutrality protections at the FCC is essential to protecting free speech online and to creating jobs across the country.

I have been a tireless leader and defender of the FCC Lifeline program and the need for there to be affordable connectivity for all American consumers.

This is not serious legislation, and it does not bode well for any serious legislation being developed by the majority of this subcommittee on any major communication issues.