Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a member of the House working group negotiating with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, said the second meeting, held the morning of July 11, was interesting, like the first. Schakowsky, D-Ill., whose area of interest in the group is the provision for biologic drug makers, said that topic was covered at the first meeting, before the Fourth of July break.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a member of the House working group negotiating with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, said the second meeting, held the morning of July 11, was interesting, like the first. Schakowsky, D-Ill., whose area of interest in the group is the provision for biologic drug makers, said that topic was covered at the first meeting, before the Fourth of July break.

Amazon's plan now before the FCC for a 3,236-satellite non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) constellation is increasing the pressure on the agency to act on its orbital debris proceeding, especially since the e-tailer's resources make its constellation plan less speculative than others, satellite experts told us. Amazon's International Bureau application filed Thursday also could raise red flags from other satellite operators about its trying to bypass the processing round process, said satellite lawyer Steve Goodman of Butzel Long.

Comments are due July 31, replies Aug. 15 on a joint petition to delay implementing scheduled updates to the Lifeline minimum service standards and support amounts for mobile broadband and voice services that were scheduled to take effect Dec. 1, said an FCC Wireline Bureau Monday public notice on docket 11-42. Last week, CTIA and others asked the FCC for the pause until it can review a market study due in two years (see 1906280012).

California regulators should pause reviewing T-Mobile/Sprint until a federal court decides on the state attorneys general lawsuit to block the deal, said Communications Workers of America. CWA met Thursday with Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves, said a Monday filing in docket A18-07-011 at the California Public Utilities Commission. “The case is scheduled to begin in October and last a few weeks,” CWA said: “If the court blocks the merger, there would be no need for a Commission decision on this very controversial merger.” The CPUC must issue proposed decisions 30 days before they can be voted upon at a meeting, so Tuesday is the deadline to get a T-Mobile/Sprint item on the Aug. 1 meeting agenda. The following two CPUC meetings are Aug. 15 and Sept. 12. “I would be surprised if a proposed decision approving the deal was issued this week,” Tellus Venture Associates President Steve Blum emailed Monday. “Under normal circumstances, i.e. the facts are known and the record is closed, I'd be expecting a proposed decision from the ALJ anytime now,” but deal parameters are in flux and California AG Xavier Becerra (D) opposes it, said the local government consultant. The AG suit “changes the dynamics and speaks volumes about how this Commission should move forward,” The Utility Reform Network (TURN) Managing Director-San Diego Christine Mailloux emailed Friday. If a proposed decision or ruling on the carriers’ motion on FCC commitments doesn't come soon (see 1905210001), TURN “will consider further action to request to put more detail into the record in response to any new information presented by the carriers,” she said. Some expect Becerra and other AGs’ suit to mean more scrutiny by California commissioners (see 1906200015). T-Mobile declined comment Monday.

Tech and business groups hailed President Donald Trump’s decision postponing the List 4 Section 301 tariffs as his administration tries to negotiate a comprehensive trade deal with China, though three existing rounds of tariffs stay as is, and the threat remains that List 4 could be imposed any time if the talks go awry, as they did in May (see 1905060015). Bipartisan Capitol Hill condemnation greeted Trump’s surprise announcement he will let U.S. companies resume shipments to Huawei, though the tech-equipment giant remains subject to Commerce Department export administration regulations and entity list restrictions (see 1905160081).

CTIA and several advocacy groups asked the FCC Wireline Bureau to pause changes to Lifeline minimum service standards until the agency reviews a marketplace study due in two years, they said in a joint petition Thursday in docket 11-42. Two changes in question would otherwise take effect on Dec. 1 (see 1809170036). The Lifeline program would impose a fivefold increase in the minimum required broadband data usage allowance, "upsetting the balance the Commission intended to strike in 2016 between affordability and reasonable comparability." The second change would phase down Lifeline support for voice services. The petition notes "upwards of 40 percent of current Lifeline subscribers" still rely on the program for voice service plans. "Given the current mobile wireless market, allowing the two changes to go into effect would restrict eligible low-income consumers' access to, and undermine the affordability of, Lifeline broadband and voice service offerings to the detriment of those the program is designed to help and before the Commission has the benefit of a marketplace analysis," the petition said. The National Consumer Law Center, National Hispanic Media Coalition, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates and the United Church of Christ Office of Communication co-signed the petition.

CTIA and several advocacy groups asked the FCC Wireline Bureau to pause changes to Lifeline minimum service standards until the agency reviews a marketplace study due in two years, they said in a joint petition Thursday in docket 11-42. Two changes in question would otherwise take effect on Dec. 1 (see 1809170036). The Lifeline program would impose a fivefold increase in the minimum required broadband data usage allowance, "upsetting the balance the Commission intended to strike in 2016 between affordability and reasonable comparability." The second change would phase down Lifeline support for voice services. The petition notes "upwards of 40 percent of current Lifeline subscribers" still rely on the program for voice service plans. "Given the current mobile wireless market, allowing the two changes to go into effect would restrict eligible low-income consumers' access to, and undermine the affordability of, Lifeline broadband and voice service offerings to the detriment of those the program is designed to help and before the Commission has the benefit of a marketplace analysis," the petition said. The National Consumer Law Center, National Hispanic Media Coalition, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates and the United Church of Christ Office of Communication co-signed the petition.

Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., doesn’t see her panel’s privacy group (see 1906140052) as the best route for reaching legislative consensus, a Democratic committee aide told us Thursday. A day earlier saw reports that Cantwell wants to negotiate bilaterally with Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

Pole riders sought revamped Connecticut pole attachment rules to deal with a rush of attachment applications. The state Public Utility Regulatory Authority (PURA) asked for feedback by Wednesday on a United Illuminating proposal to revise PURA's temporary attachment guidelines, but CenturyLink and the New England Cable and Telecommunications Association (NECTA) suggested in comments in docket 19-01-52 that the pole owner’s plan doesn’t address the full problem. Meanwhile, Connecticut legislators’ failure to pass a municipal broadband bill sent debate over a pole space reserved for municipal use back to court.