or others, visit our website and you can see all that is going on so you don't miss anything. i want to thank our sponsors, general dynamics. couldn't do it without you. membership, i think everyone in here is a member. 1.5 million members strong and growing. join the team that supports your army. thank you for coming, have a great army day. [applause] >> all this week we are showing recent supreme court cases the high court is expected to rule on by the end oth term, and we will talkitreporters about some ofhe eagle issues involved, begin each night at 9:30 eastern on c-span. tonight, a cas that looks at

the legality of the 2018 ban on bum stocks, which can turn a semioticif into a fully automatic assault style weapon. watch the supreme court case toght and other recent oral arguments all this week at 9:30 p.m. eastern on c-span. you can also find all of our supreme court coverage at c-span.org. >> now, tennessee republican senator marsha blackburn discussing broadband deployment, regulation and investment during the encompass policy summit in washington, d.c. [inaudible conversations] >> hi, how are you? awesome. sure, let me just go on the other side.

got it? >>. >> i want to get everyone's attention and welcome senator marsha blackburn. many of you all may not know this, but senator blackburn, it's hard for me not to say marsha. >> we've known each other since we were children. >> yes. >> we are from the same hometown. >> that's right, which is the center of the tv show hometown on hgtv and-- >> and i can always say you ever watch home and garden tv? you ever watch the show my hometown. so "my hometown" is my hometown. the young couple. raise your hands if you watch home and garden tv "my

hometown", it's pretty amazing. it's about a city, a town of about 20,000, like a lot of small towns and cities it was in decline. there's a young couple who really wanted to revitalize the city they loved, the community they loved, and they were posting things on facebook and home and garden tv noticed it. and approached them, would you do one of our fixer up shows like chip and joanne gaines in waco. so, social media that discovered our hometown that made "my hometown" that helped us revitalize our city. >> that's right. >> so, it's a great story. >> it is a great story and our parents knew one another. >> our fathers were in the same sunday school glass. >> right. >> and i taught him ukulele lessons at the y when he was a

kid. his sister, margaret excelled, but-- (laughter) >> yeah, i was hoping that-- >> too much information. not the topic of the day. >> yes. >> well, getting to the topic of the day, you've been a tremendous leader on broadband and on removing the barriers to deploying broadband networks across the country. the incompas team has been working closely with your staff on real legislation that would help our companies cross the tracks, go over the tracks, go under the tracks, along the tracks, to close the digital divide, and as many of you all know, whatever historical reasons, railroad tracks are kind of the dividing line in so many of our communities, and the only way to close the digital divide in an affordable way is to get the permitting as

fast as possible at a reasonable cost and an actual cost and unfortunately, too many examples are out there of those railroads who deliver critical goods and services around the country, but sometimes they may not understand the broadband. oh, there we go. they may not understand the broadband industry's need to move in a quick, timely way at a reasonable cost. talk a little about why you chose to get involved on this. >> right, i certainly will and thank you all for being here today and your interest. we think it's important. one of the things that we continue to focus on with our team is that you cannot have 21st century economic development, health care, education, or law enforcement

without access to high speed internet. it is a prerequisite and in my wonderful state of tennessee, one of the things that we have seen is some of these underserved or unserved areas are languishing and they're waiting for economic opportunity to come their direction. so as we have worked on broadband expansion and closing this digital divide, tennessee has done a wonderful job, along with the grants and the money that we have put forward at the federal level, our state legislature has now put forward 100 million dollars for grants that will go to helping communities close the digital divide. and as we look at grant funding and grant pools and things like that bead program, being

certain that when people apply for this money, they're able to use this money. of course, you all just heard from senator lujan and as many of you know, he and i have been partnered on this, since we each were in the house and we're determined that we're going to get rid of hurdles. bureaucratic hurdles are such an impediment and they're such a source of frustration for communities that are trying to get access to high speed internet to every premise. the rail became a hurdle because all of a sudden, it was you can't do anything that's going to interfere with operations and you can't do anything that is going to endanger customer safety, points that we appreciate and fully understand, and by the

way, we want to be paid for the crossings. so as someone who has since i was in the house and dealt with pole attachments and the issues around pole attachments, i thought here we go. now it's going to be scooting under the rail bed and then a fee for that. so our legislation and lujan and i are working over in the house and we're trying to get this finalized so we can get it into a markup at commerce committee and then send it to the house for them to take their actions. so as -- and i'm sure he talked with you about it, what we're trying to do is just get rid of these hurdles. deal with the issue around customer safety, deal with the issue around the rail bed

safety and no interference of rail service and then make certain that there is a compensation model for crossing that track. and one of the things that i am looking to put in it is a shot clock and i believe in shot clocks when it comes to dealing with the bureaucracy. i think that you have to give the bureaucrats a timeline and say you've got 30 days, 90 days, whatever to make this decision, but then it's deemed done if you've not taken your action. so, putting a shot clock in place because many of these grants have to be used within time periods. and communities get a grant and what happens when they get a grant is this they get their hopes up, and they're all excited and they're ready to go. and then they need the--

i'm not here to be helpful to you bureaucrat to stymies the entire project. >> well, we appreciate your help on trying to help us deploy faster as a most coast effective way possible and crossing the rail crossings legislation that we hope will soon be ready to be introduced on a bicameral, bipartisan basis in the state level in virginia legislation. >> that's right. >> one, we appreciate you. as you look at the overall infrastructure deed funding and as the 42 1/2 billion has now been allocated to the states, our state broadband offices have been putting plans in place. the math and the challenges are occurring and we think those

allocations and awards will go out sometime starting later this year. anything you'd like to express about the process, principles and goals, tennessee has a great broadband office and they seem to be doing good things to make sure that your home state of tennessee succeeds in the unfair, underserved deployment of broadband. >> yes, and we're really frustrated with the ntia right now because they should be involved in this deployment of funds with bead. and they've challenged virginia. they've challenged tennessee, what we are concerned about is that they're trying to regulation, because they're being picky about low cast plans and some things. the goal is to get it out there and have it accessible and and usable and affordable and we

certainly are staying on top of this. i'm actually leading a letter this week to alan davidson, i think he was speaking with you all earlier today, but when these funds are there -- and this is something i think many times and of course, chip, you served in the house and you've worked with local communities and when they see funding that is there for grants, or the ability to use it and they get their act together and they get these proposals and they put a lot of time into that and they're excited about doing good things for their communities and broadband is one of those good things. i mean, it's taught us anything, you've got to have the access to high speed internet. so, it is really frustrating to them when they meet a federal

agency that will not make a decision in the timely manner so they can move forward with all of the work that they have to do in order to actually use the funds and it's frustrating for them. so, we're trying to make certain that there is a timeliness component with these funds. >> it seems like there's a common theme. how do we more quickly get funds-- the faster the funds, the faster the removal of barriers, the faster our communities get good high speed internet. >> sure. >> one other area where you and senator lujan, senator markey have really been helpful is on the fcc proceeding on 12 gigahertz. >> yeah. >> that would allow satellite and two-way high powered fixed

broadband to could he exist, to share with good protections and rules to prevent interference, but you've said it's time to move and with the bead funding coming, with 500 megahertz of spectrum and high mid band, is there anything you'd like to say, you know, to the fcc about moving quickly? >> where a minion. >> over there. [laughter] >> i know you're not, but she knows there's always things that i have to say to the fcc and i so enjoyed working with her and then have-- loved having a good working relationship, post all of that.

you know, when you look at spectrum, that's such a valuable asset and the 12-2 to 12-7 that we're discussing, this is something that of course you can-- you can share this. there is a way to do this and your sat traffic, of course, can utilize a portion of that, but with the fix, you can work on that, too, because you're not going to be using it-- it's not like it going to be so highly trafficked and because of that, you can put that rules of the road there. and the fcc should move forward on how this is going to license out because i don't know of a company-- i met every one of you in here that are with a company are looking for more spectrum.

you would like to have the opportunity to bid on spectrum. and like wise, when you look at the mid band and you look at what can happen there with the spectrum that dod has, see, that's another area where we need to go in, inventory and recoup what is not being used because spectrum is too valuable to have people squatting on it and not utilizing it. and moving more of that to auction would allow for greater deployment and greater utilization, especially when you look at the wireless and the options there are there, the way that 5g evolved, the way that 6g is developing. and the way you, as i said earlier, economic development, health care, education, law

enforcement. you can't get there if you're not going to have access to the spectrum. and knowing that we have federal agencies and that's a place the ntia ought to be working is actually inventorying and then developing a plan so that we can recoup and then take our actions so that the fcc moves it to auction. >> as i look out in the audience, i see gary, a mississippi state grad. >> go dogs. where are you? right there in the room. >> it looks like-- so those mississippi state grads, i represented mississippi state. most of you may not know this, mississippi has more super computing capability than anyplace in the south.

georgia, florida -- mississippi has two of them, the development and research center and then the space center. earlier today, we announced incompas is founding and establishing, creating a center for ai public policy and responsibility. how do we bring the benefits of ai to places like tennessee and mississippi and how do we use our research, universities and our federal research centers and labs like at oak ridge-- >> and oak ridge is where we have the summit, which is the world's fastest computer, and we like having that capability there, and we have been doing round tables in tennessee quantum and on ai. senator coons and i-- and you'll hear from senator

klobuchar, the no fakes bill, ai in protection of our entertainment community to protect the name, image, likeness and voice. so that's kind of the first bill out of the box, but in tennessee, i say we have the good, bad and the ugly relationship with ai. a lot of concern from our entertainment community, but when you look at logistics, when you look at manufacturing, when you look at health care with predictive diagnosis and disease analysis and protocols that are going to speed you through research, then this is where ai can play a substantial role and we're really looking forward to the innovation that they are going to bring that researchers utilizing ai are going to bring.

now, i think it is going to be so important that we continue to work with our national labs and that we continue that research with our research institutions, ut has a lab over at oak ridge where we're doing some shared research and then, also, we've got some good work that's being done around some of the new work with space force, with hypersonics, and the utilizations that will be there for ai there are going to increase and really enhance our defense capabilities. >> it's an exciting time. >> it is exciting. >> and so we hope that our center will have leading academic university industry, government leaders as part of that, and we'll want to engage

with you, your stake holders in tennessee. >> yeah. >> how do we get ai right? how do we make sure that it's competitive innovation that we get the benefits and reduce the risk, and do it in a way that it's a light touch that allows the innovation that america has defined and american ingenuity and technology, made us the world leader in technology without doing it in a way that either stifles or stagnates or gives china and other rivals an opportunity to open a lead over us. >> right, and senator warner and i have filed a bill that deals with standard setting. and we're just rolling that out. this is something we think is vitally important when we look alt china and the impact there. also, one of the things that we've been working on. i've been working on this since

2012, peter welch and i, in the house, we did an online consumer privacy bill and i will tell you it's very frustrating to our colleagues in other countries that we have never established online privacy and whether it's the eu, or i'm in the u.k. or ireland or meeting with our canadian colleagues, our australian colleagues, they said you all are all about a right to privacy, but you will not do privacy for the virtual space. so establishing a right to privacy is the one thing that in every one of our hearings, at judiciary committee, the roundtable discussions that senator schumer has held, everybody, every one of those doing online privacy is going to be important for us to do. now, we're not going to do something as far reaching as gdpr and they're having to go

back and revisit that, but they've also done digital services, digital marketing in the eu, and we are the ones that are slow to the game on that. and as we talk about data transfer and transfer rights and cross-border transfers, privacy plays into that and ai brings a new level to that and quantum and is going to bring new capacity to that data which again says, you have to give people the right to protect their data in the virtual space. >> it is time for american policy makers or american policy to reestablish its leadership role in the world and not concede that to europe or other nations and so, we look forward incompas, our

members engaging with you as you all can tell and that the audience, marsha, senator blackburn is involved in all the critical issues. as a conservative republican, she surprises people with how many she can work with on the issues of broadband and technology. >> well, and if you really know, i say, look, i am always willing to have a conversation with someone that wants to make the lives of tennesseans and the american people better and my door is always open to that, and yes, all of this tech legislation kids online safety act, we've worked together on that, and yes, it's important to work together in a bipartisan way because our nation has been kept free and prosperous because we have always believed in robust

respectful bipartisan debate and when you make decisions in a bipartisan manner, those are things that stick and you want to get it right the first time, not the second, third, or fourth time. so as someone who believes in being a conservative on money let's do it right the first time, we don't waste time, effort, energy and valuable resources. >> very well-said and we -- you know, the fact that you have so many good bipartisan relationships really is a tribute to your work and the principled approach you take and we're grateful with your relationship with minion and works closely with us, and she and i have run a campaign on the broadband funding and deployment and initiatives and we look forward to working as an association, all of our

member companies who are in tennessee and all around the country who are deploying the advanced networks and creating advanced ai and applications of the future and the work force of the future. you're in a position to make a difference and we, thank you for coming here. >> absolutely. >> talking with us, that we could tell our hometown story and our home state story. and importantly to work together to make policy. >> absolutely, thank you. >> so thank you. >> thank you all. [applause] >>onht we will hear from president biden on effort to lower health care costs for all americans. federal reserve chair on the inflation and economy. then, and undecided supreme

court case about bum stocks, which are banned under federal law. to discussion with the imf about global >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. if we are funded by these television companies and more, including buckeye broadband. buckeye oadband supports c-span as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat a front