Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is taking heat for his position in favor of auctioning off government-controlled electromagnetic spectrum. The debate over a spectrum auction has major cell service companies on one side and cable companies and the Pentagon on the other–and it is proving to be a major deep-pocketed issue with lobbying each way but also the potential to raise lots of cash for the federal government.
A group, called Patriots for American Security, is running ads attacking Cruz for his position in favor of auctioning spectrum. The ads ripping Cruz show just how aggressive this fight is getting in the nation’s capital.
The advertisement from the group has a photo of Cruz and says, “President Trump: Don’t let Senator Ted Cruz give our military spectrum to the Germans,” and adds that T-Mobile, which is “backed by the German government” wants the United States’ military-grade spectrum.
“T-Mobile is controlled by Deutsche (German) Telekom whose largest shareholder with almost 30% of its shares is the German government,” the advertisement says.
“The same German government that mocked your America First agenda,” the advertisement adds.
“T-Mobile whose CEO celebrated” former Vice President Kamala Harris’s win as a “wonder,” the advertisement continued.
“Mr. President– stop the giveaway,” the ad continues. “Keep America’s Spectrum safe. Build the Golden Dome.”
The advertisement comes as Cruz has been in favor of restoring the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to auction off valuable electro-magnetic spectrum, which can consist of anything from radiowaves to x-rays or radio and cell phone broadcasts.
During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing in February, Cruz “raised the alarm on the urgent need to auction spectrum to preserve America’s global technology leadership, protect national security,” and to “create millions of jobs,” according to a press release from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation.
“Auctioning spectrum has been one of the most successful drivers of American innovation, economic growth, and global technology leadership,” Cruz said. “Spectrum auctions have unlocked billions for the Treasury while enabling our nation’s wireless networks to deliver faster, better connectivity, fueling the rise of breakthroughs from the iPhone to generative AI. This has created millions of jobs, spurred new industries, positioned American companies at the forefront of global innovations, and, most importantly, improved the lives of American consumers.”
Cruz added during the hearing that the U.S. stood at a “critical juncture,” and pointed out that it had been “two years since the FCC lost auction authority and three years since the last meaningful auction of spectrum valuable to American consumers.”
“Meanwhile, our spectrum innovation lags the rest of the world as China, an adversarial surveillance state, threatens to control worldwide communication networks,” Cruz added.
Cruz also highlighted how the Spectrum Pipeline Act “restores FCC auction authority and ends our spectrum drought.”
“Through a clear pipeline of mid-band spectrum, American companies will have the certainty they need to invest billions in their networks and lead the world in revolutionary innovation,” Cruz explained.
Breitbart News’s John Binder previously reported in March that insiders explained Cruz was among the lawmakers who “lobbyists for Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile” were “looking to pressure” into a spectrum auction:
Insiders tell Breitbart News that as a result of Trump’s election, lobbyists for Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are looking to pressure lawmakers into a spectrum auction as their profits through routes like immigration dry up.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), insiders said, is specifically being lobbied by wireless companies on the plan and has worked on a bill to require the FCC to auction at least 1,250 megahertz of spectrum for full-power commercial wireless services within a 6-year period.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) warned in a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, that “acting to auction this band before” the U.S. government understands “the full consequences of doing so risks exposing the United States to even more significant incursions,” according to Reuters.
“Acting to auction this band before we understand the full consequences of doing so risks exposing the United States to even more significant incursions — and next time, it may not merely be a Chinese balloon that we can’t afford to miss,” Cantwell said. “This would be a grave error, placing short-term corporate gain ahead of our nation’s long term security.”
Per the outlet, Cantwell “also raised concerns about requiring an auction of the 7 to 8 GHz bands,” explaining that “this band is essential” for the nation’s national security:
Cantwell also raised concerns about requiring an auction of the 7 to 8 GHz bands. “This band is essential to our national security and our ability to communicate and coordinate military action worldwide,” Cantwell wrote.
During his confirmation hearing, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe warned that the Department of Defense and the intelligence community would face “national security implications from such an auction.” Ratcliffe warned:
There are national security implications from such an auction were it to take place to both the DoD and the [Intelligence Community]… but I think we need to be concerned that a public auction at bands at certain levels would have an impact on our ability to deliver an accurate intelligence picture to the Commander-in-chief.
“We’ve been studying this closely and I can tell you, it might be a win for special interests representing the telecom industry, but it’d be a loss for our defense posture and for the President’s agenda,” a senior Pentagon official said. “He’s been clear that getting the Golden Dome deployed is a top priority. This would be a distraction at best and, at worst, could totally derail our ability to get this done.”
“Cruz is so politically tone deaf sometimes,” a Senior White House official said in a statement. “It’s really bizarre that he’s made selling spectrum his pet issue when it could undermine two of the President’s top priorities –– Golden Dome and tax cuts. And on top of that it could help the Germans, who laughed at the President at the U.N. and scoffed at the Vice President in Munich.”
