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Dear Chairman Pai,

We, the undersigned organizations promoting free markets and conservative policy, applaud your efforts at making more mid-band spectrum available to keep the United States competitive with, and leading, China on 5G. The administration’s action and the recent FCC May open-meeting agenda demonstrate your keen understanding of this issue. The proper government/private-sector balance will allow competition, innovation, and continued economic prosperity.

No philosophy in human history has created more opportunity for more people than free enterprise. Therefore, we know that the federal government must not impede innovation but rather work quickly to roll out spectrum and technologies that will drive the U.S. ahead of China in 5G. The administration’s America First economic agenda has prioritized regulatory reform, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and competition with China – bringing more mid-band spectrum to market complements and expands the President’s policy agenda. More mid-band spectrum means more innovation, which means more growth and opportunity.

Our concern is simple – certain agencies may do the ‘bureaucratic slow-walk’ vis-à-vis pending license proceedings and may pursue other regulatory mischief to impede new uses of spectrum. Any bureaucratic or competitive interference that slows the introduction of more spectrum to the market will stifle innovation and hurt the economy.

We implore you – as you continue to drive America’s global leadership in 5G forward – to make as many decisions as you can as quickly as possible, according to the authority and statutes governing your office.

We support your leadership in facilitating America’s superiority in 5G Technology, including pushing more mid-band spectrum into the marketplace; updating infrastructure policy; and modernizing outdated regulations. 5G networking is the fifth generation of wireless technology. An efficient deployment of 5G will lead to greater faster data speeds of data, a more responsive networks, and the ability to connect more devices simultaneously.

We cannot allow China to race ahead in 5G. Reports indicate that the U.S. and China are now tied. Again, this progress is thanks to your leadership and the FCC’s 5G fast Plan, in this critical digital race. We urge you to move forward and approve new applications to keep pace with China’s superior speed of deployment.

American companies pushing for the release of mid-band spectrum are strengthening our economy by increasing U.S. competitiveness and enabling the American entrepreneurial spirit to be unleashed on the world economic stage.

We urge you to continue to make progress and not be slowed by other agencies or agendas on this matter.

FULL TEXT/COALITION ORGANIZATIONS HERE: 5G Coalition Letter to The Honorable Ajit Pai

Dear Leader McConnell and Senator Crapo:

We, the undersigned organizations dedicated to limited government and constitutional principles, are writing to ask that you act on H.R. 4537, the International Insurance Standards Act. This legislation has broad bipartisan support and passed the House unanimously. The International Insurance Standards Act would protect and preserve state-based insurance regulation from inappropriate foreign influence, create more transparency and accountability for US federal participants at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and strengthen US negotiators’ position in the international insurance negotiation process, benefiting American policyholders, workers, and business.

The American insurance model is based upon the concept of federalism. Each state regulates and decides which rules should apply within their boundaries. This model of insurance regulation has served our nation’s consumers, markets, and industry for over 150 years. But the American model has come under threat from heavy-handed European bureaucrats seeking to impose their burdensome red tape on the US insurance industry thus making our insurance industry less competitive abroad and negatively impacting the protection of US insurance policyholders.

We strongly support the separation of powers detailed in the U.S. Constitution. The ongoing regulatory standard-setting at the IAIS is a threat to both the states’ authority to regulate the insurance industry and a threat to Congress’ authority under Article I to “regulate commerce with foreign Nations…”. We believe that HR 4537 will begin to help restore some of these important principles.

Specifically, the legislation requires that the US system of insurance regulation be formally recognized in any international insurance agreement before our federal participants in the negotiations can support the agreement. By enacting this requirement and the rest of the International Insurance Standards Act, you will ensure that changes to the American insurance model come from state insurance commissioners or Congress, not from global mandates embedded within an international agreement negotiated by an executive branch appointee.

As we noted, this bill has strong bipartisan support and should be enacted before the end of the year. Thankfully, HR 4537 was also included in a broader Senate bill – S. 488 (JOBS Act 3.0) that is eligible for expedited Senate floor consideration. This legislation passed the House by a vote of 406-4 in July of this year and now awaits a full vote by the Senate. We strongly urge you to bring S. 488, as exactly passed by the House, before the entire US Senate, at the earliest available opportunity. The American system of insurance has served the nation well and should not be threatened by European bureaucrats who fail to understand or appreciate basic concepts of federalism and who seek to make our markets less competitive. We urge quick passage of this important legislation. October 9, 2018

 

  • A broad coalition of free-market and center-right organizations are respectfully requesting that Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reform the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandate.  The previous Administration’s corporatist policies ushered in an unprecedented age of hyper-lobbying that promoted partial and partisan interests—saving Wall Street bankers, a failed stimulus package, an auto bailout for union control, the Obamacare fiasco, green energy boondoggles. President Trump promised to grow the economy by doing away with Obama-era cronyism. Reforming the badly broken RFS system and will show that the President is serious about putting America back to work.  Read the Coalition letter here: COALITION Seeks to Reform the federal Renewable Fuel Standard  October 6, 2017
  • “We and the millions of Americans who support our organizations are deeply concerned that Senator Elizabeth Warren’s “Over the Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017” is a bait-and-switch piece of legislation that will impose burdensome regulations, resulting in limited choice and higher prices for consumers. We are concerned that the House will allow a version of this legislation to be attached to the non-controversial Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) legislation.Senator Warren’s legislation is misleading. Her proposal will increase regulation, pre-empt states, raise prices, and limit choice. It’s a solution looking for a problem. Physicians, healthcare professionals, patients, and consumers all lose under the Warren bill. We encourage Congress to oppose it at every turn.” Read the Coalition letter HERE: Coalition Opposes Sen Warren’s crony Hearing Aid Bill_it’s bad for doctors, patients, and consumers May 2017
  • The Financial CHOICE Act is a market-based, common sense reform proposal that will peel back the most onerous Dodd-Frank regulatory layers. The legislation begins with a conservative consensus of eliminating the most damaging provisions of Dodd-Frank, explicitly reforming the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and repealing the Durbin Amendment: Coalition Letter in Support of The Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 May 2017
  • Maryland consumers need more choices when it comes to their drugs, not fewer. HB 631 will drive those choices out of the marketplace, doing a disservice to Marylanders by limiting their options and driving pharmaceutical prices up and is therefore bad public policy:  Coalition Letter Opposed to Maryland House Bill 631 April 2017

 

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