Congressman August Pfluger (R) sharply focused on the growing threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing, questioning Federal Communications Commission leadership on how the United States is preparing to compete with China in critical communications and spectrum policy.
As a member of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Rep. Pfluger emphasized that Republican-led passage of the Working Families Tax Cut Act restored the FCC's spectrum auction authority, a move he argued is essential to preventing China from gaining a strategic advantage in wireless technology, national security, and global standards-setting.
"Thankfully... we are able, in the Working Families Tax Cut Act, to allow the FCC to auction off eight hundred megahertz of spectrum for commercial broadband use," said Pfluger.
During his questioning, Pfluger highlighted the importance of establishing a long-term spectrum pipeline to ensure the U.S. remains competitive against the CCP's aggressive efforts to dominate next-generation communications infrastructure.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr confirmed that the Commission is moving quickly to auction spectrum and clear additional bands, ensuring American companies, not Chinese state-backed entities, lead in innovation, speed, and deployment.
Pfluger focused on preparations for the 2027 World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-27), to be held in Shanghai, China. He warned that the conference poses serious security and geopolitical challenges, given the CCP's history of leveraging international institutions to advance its authoritarian agenda.
FFC Commissioner Olivia Trusty agreed, stating that without restored auction authority and a clear spectrum strategy, the United States would risk falling behind China in both economic strength and national security.
She emphasized that full U.S. engagement at WRC-27 is critical to promoting American values, protecting allies, and countering CCP-backed standards and technologies.
"Now that we have auction authority and a long-term spectrum pipeline, we can meet the growing demands of wireless services, public safety, national security, and emerging technologies," said Trusty.
Pfluger stressed that aligning public and private sector efforts, coordinating with international allies, and maintaining a strong FCC leadership role are essential to confronting the CCP's influence.
By restoring spectrum authority and demanding accountability from federal regulators, Pfluger and House Republicans signaled their intent to ensure the United States, not the Chinese Communist Party, sets the rules for the future of global communications.
