[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6212327,"mediaKeyId","3685651-36c8f31d3a3f0458c615bca1501a793c","parentId",3685651,"title","Commerce sets 90‑day BEAD application window; senators warn against reapplication burdens and mapping delays","audioSeconds",2576,"startMs",4189000,"endMs",6765000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3685651-36c8f31d3a3f0458c615bca1501a793c&start=4189&end=6765","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3685651-36c8f31d3a3f0458c615bca1501a793c/thumbnail_4189000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6212327/Commerce-sets-90day-BEAD-application-window-senators-warn-against-reapplication-burdens-and-mapping-delays","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6212327-5bca036587779a09e5b259adc3d0e14f/orig.mp4?Expires=1772858699&Signature=aRAhb-e6xWbnSd3anR~l6iZWuFZ-p4HN-pNEokeyCdr6YlyVCJ3Mk0V3eE~k5kYFIa090QEZXW8JBMp9TwrGmCt7DqyvGenpC9Y0Dxyh4MHIEwMJgfSnGJlnGfdzxM21KCS2IKCU5rnKn41hE3aZAmAauZpsT~SsZuzYegM2MvnXbXjHtqdgTOYOa0V9jWeGIlr29it3tsFe-uJDRSuTUMGhotuI4m3GVJcrUaCbJehn2V7LBzGvAWM61Rki5bK~gzreWx-BNB8IVDtTDcvS43Garl7ybU1ovKuANpI6gtGEHRBc98Gy0YrSfRyL6wfBSQtl6WvQAcR1o3RZBjL6wg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations","date","2025-06-04T00:00:00Z","article","Senators from rural and northern states pressed Department of Commerce officials on June 4 to avoid delays and unnecessary rebidding in implementing the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and associated mapping and Digital Equity activities.

Senator Deb Fischer and others described the broadband funding map and BEAD as critical tools to prevent redundant overbuilding and to target scarce funds toward unserved and underserved households. They asked whether the department would prioritize NTIA work to populate and maintain the broadband funding map and whether BEAD rules would require states to reissue applications already approved at the state level.

Secretary Lutnick said the department would put out the BEAD notice of funding opportunity “shortly” and expected applicants to file within a 90‑day window; he told senators he planned to hold to that timeline and to award funds by the end of calendar 2025 if applications met technology‑neutral criteria and provided efficient, low‑cost service to end users. He emphasized the department’s intent to be “technologically agnostic” and to get funds out rather than delay projects.

Lawmakers cautioned the secretary that some states and local providers had already completed time‑consuming, expensive application processes and that forcing reapplications or prohibiting particular technologies could add months or years to construction seasons, especially in states with short building windows. Senator Gary Peters asked whether a Michigan forecast office would have to pause construction; the secretary said he would work with states to avoid unnecessary delays but also stressed that the previous administration had not distributed BEAD funds for 30 months.

Committee members asked the department to ensure NTIA and the Federal Communications Commission coordinate map data collection and to minimize administrative burdens for applicants already approved by states. Secretary Lutnick agreed to work with senators and to prioritize mapping and timely awards.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Subcommittee Hearing: A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Commerce","oneSentenceSummary","Secretary Lutnick told senators the department will issue a BEAD notice of funding opportunity soon and expects applications within 90 days; lawmakers warned that restarting state bidding processes would waste funds and delay shovel‑ready projects.","taxTitle","Appropriations: Senate Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1986,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6212332,"Commerce says CHIPS award terms being revisited; senators seek payment certainty for chipmakers and tech hubs",4398,1536000,5934000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3685651-36c8f31d3a3f0458c615bca1501a793c&start=1536&end=5934","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3685651-36c8f31d3a3f0458c615bca1501a793c/thumbnail_1536000.jpg","/articles/6212332/Commerce-says-CHIPS-award-terms-being-revisited-senators-seek-payment-certainty-for-chipmakers-and-tech-hubs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6212332-3d09b2b3d457c59cb2225ba7be9eb1f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1772858699&Signature=ABY7wEIYg~ciomcJZEbE0OFT~SoP-pyq1FhB46b2j4Aqq-tKQMQTCwUMoHFEbYFs9FsGIvqwHQcGm8GYjRKyNZM9PEshXDbJ6N2XSTPrDDxqhxrumZYlefCSJcR2Z0BVHtWQVsWXJsZAEJ5W-AkyhDa4Xwyl1RW398WARyR2vpkG5hznPObQoWGeLjHhwUJAkhQK4QGQoyM0zb6E13z9choqmOOdm1Ij~z22Dzg6kNWn0JsNz5rEBGaCwO21xcErvw7yUT1CZRf7rLgLqigbtRFyZoWlz73CiFfi9W01686JSRgq9qgx53iudRr2YUEB4c0lYT5mRdAOeT1qrVk84w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators questioned Department of Commerce Secretary Lutnick on June 4 about the pace and terms of CHIPS Act awards, the timing of disbursements to chipmakers and the future of tech hub grants that the department has paused or is reviewing.

Multiple senators said companies had executed CHIPS contracts and relied on agreed terms to advance construction and investment. Secretary Lutnick said the department was renegotiating certain agreements to secure “more building in America” for the same federal support and described examples in which commitments from awardees had increased materially in exchange for existing federal awards.

Senators warned that renegotiating deals after contracts are signed could slow progress. Senator Maria Cantwell and other members asked whether the department was withholding funds to force better terms; Lutnick replied that the department planned to distribute money when it obtained substantially greater domestic commitments or better value for taxpayers. He said Micron had increased proposed commitments and that renegotiations had yielded larger private investment figures in some cases.

Committee members also pressed the secretary about tech hubs: several previously announced hub awards were reported canceled or subject to recompete. Senator Patty Murray raised specific concerns about a tech hub in Eastern Washington (the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center) whose $48 million tech hub funding had been cited in the hearing; the secretary replied that the department had funding available and intended to fund tech hubs but wanted to ensure recipients would deliver \"the benefit of the bargain.\" He said some funds had been drawn down and that additional funding depended on meeting program terms.

Lawmakers asked the department to be transparent about any repayment or renegotiation terms and to avoid repetitively requiring winners to reapply where they had already invested time and funds. The secretary agreed to meet with senators and to provide more details in follow‑up conversations.","Secretary Lutnick told senators the administration was renegotiating some CHIPS awards to increase domestic commitments for the same federal dollars; lawmakers warned renegotiation risks slowing construction and investment and asked for predictable contract fulfillment and clarification on tech‑hub funding.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6212337,"Senators urge Commerce to preserve Manufacturing Extension Partnership as department reviews program",4778,1067000,5845000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3685651-36c8f31d3a3f0458c615bca1501a793c&start=1067&end=5845","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3685651-36c8f31d3a3f0458c615bca1501a793c/thumbnail_1067000.jpg","/articles/6212337/Senators-urge-Commerce-to-preserve-Manufacturing-Extension-Partnership-as-department-reviews-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6212337-9015e6f0737188a127614661c6a87d1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1772858699&Signature=dzd0H07ArmQSAagiCSKpiZWUlm6u4Yn~70nL1YTjH9t5xsF6AU827TEwiqPdvmwhdepGWPnVMYz9mwxyPqJiDVwACssr4Fjv7uAGK9eezfsN0ppIyFAhDq8YIs8Nfl8FedH9BT-Oe6WjAcJiIG9bv5Mkkpe~33i-o~GWVmK2AkS5BpA6-4w3YThWxJ6HTRoK2G7YgqdMElr~PgT0yb~hC773aSISKOL4dH0nRjPXReB0aTFLcUkwicySR4CPgyehrzaFLB9NKPtMtdOuLpyJC65KrO988nsic7PHCwFK0QfMN1aj4PRWXzzF3h2SqY76fK7Z42Fuf03o4uags45NPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several senators on the Appropriations subcommittee urged Department of Commerce Secretary Lutnick on June 4 to preserve and modernize the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a long‑standing NIST program that offers technical assistance to small and medium manufacturers.

Members from both parties described MEP as a widely used program that supports machine tools, supply‑chain finance and other practical services for manufacturers. Senator Jerry Moran, the subcommittee chair, told the secretary that the budget request “suggests the elimination for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership,” and asked how the department would ensure small manufacturers continued to receive assistance if MEP funding were not requested. Senators from Kansas, New Hampshire, Oregon and other states offered examples of MEP’s local impact.

Secretary Lutnick said he wanted to “reexamine and retool a whole variety of these programs” to reflect new technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation. He also cited an inspector general report that highlighted “waste, fraud and abuse” in some MEP center compensation practices and said the department would address identified issues before moving forward with recompetition or renewal of cooperative agreements.

Senators emphasized the program’s measurable returns. During the hearing Senator Maggie Hassan (and others) noted MEP had secured an estimated $5 billion in new investments and created or retained about 8,000 jobs in FY24, figures she and colleagues attributed to the program’s effectiveness. Lawmakers asked the department to meet with bipartisan delegations of senators and MEP stakeholders to design reforms that preserve MEP’s core outreach while fixing governance and compensation problems identified by the inspector general.

Committee members also discussed broader economic development funding in the Commerce request, including a cited proposal to eliminate the Economic Development Administration (EDA). Secretary Lutnick repeated the administration’s objectives to reduce duplication and modernize programs but agreed to work with senators on reform and to review competitive processes for tech hubs and related awards.

Senators asked that existing recipients and states not be forced to restart expensive grant applications unnecessarily; Secretary Lutnick said the department would seek to make awards that deliver \"the benefit of the bargain\" and avoid unnecessary rework where possible.

The subcommittee asked the department to provide additional information and to meet with members to discuss program reforms, competition timelines and the inspector general’s findings.","Several senators urged Commerce Secretary Lutnick to retain or reform the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and questioned a department proposal that appears to remove MEP funding; Commerce said it would review inspector‑general findings and modernize programs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6212343,"Senate appropriators press Commerce on NOAA staffing, forecasting operations and hiring freeze",5633,1025000,6658000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3685651-36c8f31d3a3f0458c615bca1501a793c&start=1025&end=6658","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3685651-36c8f31d3a3f0458c615bca1501a793c/thumbnail_1025000.jpg","/articles/6212343/Senate-appropriators-press-Commerce-on-NOAA-staffing-forecasting-operations-and-hiring-freeze","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6212343-04440cc37d411c589d4638cb02205097/orig.mp4?Expires=1772858699&Signature=a5TtvU20OwYwWhUC6Om8nY90QbO1NZ5453O1t0yrtrgCtCiQtyT-JQeZSSez5AIy4YjRsjCST6UmOCSnixRZ89UttnOegAcC6mQcWLV42-sLJqnzurYxISeePzdeW-N1IhYI2kMfUOVawyHdhu~vAEVPweylEtJJIXu4I5LWgaDM5XLjnVvJNqiU12VyxQAgAuEXq-lfnWfNLkZTnB1Pwu92rT8BxItR9HNtL7svkKzqf4qhXcMbh3K3MH18XuI8LL69DCDICgrpjO1Rz9~PZ13uaN0lTDkaSpp3K0g9gfWKEhG6A5yTxcDcafkO3wCBT~8iVFjL8bxdOgIDDTo4ww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate appropriators pressed Department of Commerce Secretary Lutnick on June 4 about cuts in the department's fiscal 2026 budget proposal and their potential effects on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including round‑the‑clock operations at National Weather Service forecast offices.

The exchange came after the subcommittee chair and members said the department’s budget request — which committee members described as proposing a 16.5% overall reduction to department budget authority and targeted cuts to agencies including NOAA — left them without sufficient detail about how the agency would maintain public‑safety functions. Senator Chris Van Hollen, the subcommittee's ranking member, said employees and communities have experienced “large‑scale” workforce changes and sought the department’s reorganization and reduction‑in‑force (RIF) plans as context for the budget review.

The hearing focused on whether staffing cuts had already reduced 24‑hour coverage at some field offices. Senators named Kansas, Alaska and Oregon as places where forecast offices had fallen below full 24/7 staffing, and multiple members asked whether offices such as Marquette, Michigan, would remain in round‑the‑clock operation. Secretary Lutnick said the department employed roughly 2,100 meteorologists and that the agency was “fully staffed.” He also told the panel he would work with committee staff to provide requested documents and answer letters \"within a week\" where possible.

Senators sought specificity about hiring and rehire actions. Senator Van Hollen and others referenced a prior reduction of 600 National Weather Service positions and said the department had moved to rehire some staff; members cited published reporting that NOAA was scrambling to fill forecasting positions ahead of severe‑weather seasons. Secretary Lutnick said NOAA staff had been granted exemptions from the administration's hiring freeze for critical forecast positions and that the department had begun rehiring.

Committee members also raised several NOAA program and facilities concerns: the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund was cited as proposed for elimination in the department request; the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and other NOAA construction projects were described as being in need of multi‑year cost estimates that, by law, should be included in congressional budget justification documents. Senator Patty Murray asked whether the department had consulted tribes and fishing communities before proposing the salmon program cut; Lutnick said he had spoken with tribes, scientists and fishermen. He agreed to review and, if required, provide the NOAA construction project list and five‑year cost estimates to the committee.

Other safety‑critical operations came up in questioning. Senator Lisa Murkowski described a weather buoy outside Valdez, Alaska, needed for tanker departures; she said it had been out of service “for months,” and asked the secretary to help restore buoy operations. Lutnick promised to work with senators and to prioritize operational safety while modernizing systems.

The hearing record shows multiple requests to the department for: the FY2025 departmental spending plan required by law; detailed reorganization/RIF plans submitted to the White House; and a more complete FY2026 congressional budget justification. Secretary Lutnick told the subcommittee staff he would “go through your letters and to the extent I can answer them, I will happily answer you within a week.”

The subcommittee recessed for votes before additional rounds of questioning; members may submit further written questions for the official record. The hearing transcript contains a sequence of exchanges documenting the staffing, hiring‑freeze exemptions and the department's commitments to provide additional written materials to the committee.","Senators pressed Commerce Secretary Lutnick on proposed budget cuts to NOAA, a recent hiring freeze and disruptions to 24/7 operations at several National Weather Service forecast offices; the secretary said meteorologists would be staffed and promised follow-up information.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commerce sets 90‑day BEAD application window; senators warn against reapplication burdens and mapping delays

Commerce says CHIPS award terms being revisited; senators seek payment certainty for chipmakers and tech hubs

Senators urge Commerce to preserve Manufacturing Extension Partnership as department reviews program

Senate appropriators press Commerce on NOAA staffing, forecasting operations and hiring freeze