There will be dramatic changes in Congress. Starting January 20, NY Senator Charles Schumer will no longer be Majority Leader of the Senate. After January 20, he will be Minority Leader in the Senate. This will have a significant impact on broadcasters. As majority leader, he had control of the Senate Calendar and could decide which bills moved forward. That job will now belong to the Republicans. At this point in time three names are surfacing, Sen Rick Scott (R. FL), Sen John Thune (R. SD), and Sen. John Cornyn (R. TX).
During his tenure, Sen. Schumer passed legislation that helped broadcasters, including the PPP loan bills during the COVID crisis. He has also helped stimulate business by bringing new technology businesses to New York.
Sen Schumer will retain his position through January 20. We hope that he will be able to navigate the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act during the lame duck session of Congress this year. If the bill fails to pass during this session of Congress, we will have to start from scratch in 2025.
There will be changes in the House as well. At this point, it looks like the Republicans may maintain control of the House. If the Democrats gain control then, current Democrat Leader in the House Hakeem Jeffries (D NY 8th) will become Speaker of the House. However, it remains close with Democrats holding 208 seats and Republicans holding 214 seats. You need 218 seats to gain control of the House.
Three current Republican members of the New York Congressional Delegation lost their bid for reelection:
Laura Gillen (D) defeated Anthony D’Esposito (R. NY 4)
Josh Riley (D) defeated Marc Molinaro (R. NY 19)
John Mannion defeated Brandon Williams (R. NY 22)
The rest of the New York House and Senate delegation remained the same.
Representatives Esposito, Molinaro, and Williams support the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. Accordingly, it is important that this legislation move forward while they are still in office and before this session of Congress ends.
It is likely that the Republicans will control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. As a result, policies enacted by the Republican FCC are unlikely to face significant challenges in Congress.