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House hearing highlights split over shortening permits for subsea cables in national marine sanctuaries
Summary
Rep. Buddy Carter's Undersea Cable Protection Act drew support from industry groups and concern from some Democrats, who warned the bill could limit NOAA's authority to protect sanctuary resources and remove fees and liability avenues; witnesses and members debated redundancy, certainty and sanctuary protections.
The subcommittee considered HR 261, the Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025, which would prevent NOAA from requiring additional special-use permits for fiber-optic submarine cable projects in national marine sanctuaries when the projects have already been authorized by other federal or state agencies.
Representative Buddy Carter, sponsor of the bill, argued the measure would reduce duplicative permitting and provide regulatory certainty for critical communications infrastructure. "The Department of Homeland Security has designated the cables as critical infrastructure," Carter said, and he emphasized the economic and national-security importance of undersea cables: "It's estimated that in the financial sector alone, undersea cables carry $10,000,000,000,000 of financial transfers daily."
Industry witnesses,…
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