ANCHOR Act

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Bill ID: 119/s/318

Last Updated: September 7, 2026

ANCHOR Act

S. 318, 119th Congress — read as touching Telecommunications.

The sponsor

Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$89,100 raised

29 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

70% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Energy and Related Commissions" section, p. 425-427 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Held at the desk.

October 9, 2025

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

✅

Passed Senate

🏛️

House Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Summary Style:

**Analysis of S 318: ANCHOR Act**

As a visionary entrepreneur and thought leader, I'll dissect the ANCHOR Act's implications on my interests and the broader landscape.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill aims to enhance the cybersecurity and telecommunications capabilities of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF). The primary objective is to create a plan for upgrading the fleet's infrastructure, ensuring the secure transmission of sensitive research data and facilitating real-time collaboration between researchers and experts.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a comprehensive plan in consultation with various stakeholders. The plan must assess the ARF's telecommunications and cybersecurity needs, estimate costs, and outline implementation timelines. Notably, the bill encourages the adoption of common solutions, consortial licensing agreements, or centralizing fleet cybersecurity at a single facility.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The primary stakeholders include:

1. Research universities and laboratories operating vessels within the ARF. 2. The National Science Foundation (NSF). 3. Federal agencies, such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). 4. Non-Federal owners of vessels within the ARF.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** From a strategic perspective, this bill presents both opportunities and challenges:

1. **Consolidation of Power:** By centralizing fleet cybersecurity at a single facility, I foresee potential opportunities for my companies to provide specialized services, thereby increasing our market share. 2. **Regulatory Compliance:** The emphasis on adopting common solutions and consortial licensing agreements may lead to increased regulatory burdens, which could stifle innovation and limit the growth of smaller competitors. 3. **Cybersecurity Risks:** As a prominent figure in the tech industry, I recognize that enhanced cybersecurity measures are essential for protecting sensitive research data. However, overregulation could hinder the development of novel solutions. 4. **Funding Allocation:** The bill's spending plan may lead to increased funding for NSF and other stakeholders, potentially creating new opportunities for my companies to secure lucrative contracts.

In conclusion, while the ANCHOR Act aims to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications capabilities of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, its implications on my interests are multifaceted. As a visionary entrepreneur, I will closely monitor the bill's progress and adapt my strategies accordingly to maximize opportunities for growth and consolidation.

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions

$89,100

23 donors

PACs

Organizations

$21,400

Committees

Individuals

$67,700

No PAC contributions found

CHEROKEE NATION

1 transaction

$5,000

MOORETOWN RANCHERIA

1 transaction

$3,300

TOLOWA DEE-NI' NATION

1 transaction

$3,300

TULE RIVER TRIBAL COUNCIL

1 transaction

$3,300

THE CHICKASAW NATION

1 transaction

$2,500

SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY

2 transactions

$2,000

ONEIDA NATION

1 transaction

$1,000

ONEIDA INDIAN NATION

1 transaction

$1,000

No committee contributions found

CHEN, YU

2 transactions

$6,600

ZHAO, PENG

2 transactions

$6,600

GOLDMAN, JOHN

2 transactions

$6,600

GOLDMAN, MARCIA

2 transactions

$6,600

ANDREESSEN, MARC LOWELL

2 transactions

$6,600

KIMBER, SHELDON

1 transaction

$5,000

CARUSO, RICK J.

1 transaction

$3,300

DELVAC, WILLIAM F.

1 transaction

$3,300

GRAY, WILLIAM

1 transaction

$3,300

KEYES, HOWARD

1 transaction

$3,300

STEIN, KEVIN

1 transaction

$3,300

FISHER, ROBERT J.

1 transaction

$3,300

FISHER, JOHN

1 transaction

$3,300

FISHER, WILLIAM S.

1 transaction

$3,300

DIXON, CHRISTOPHER

1 transaction

$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]

ID: S001198

Top Contributors

SEND IN THE SEAL PAC

PACALEXANDRIA, VA

$45,000

Aug 9, 2024

THE LINCOLN CLUB OF ORANGE COUNTY FEDERAL PAC

PACNEWPORT BEACH, CA

$25,000

Oct 18, 2024

SEND IN THE SEAL PAC

PACALEXANDRIA, VA

$15,000

Aug 9, 2024

WINRED

PACARLINGTON, VA

$6,600

Oct 19, 2023

RON JOHNSON VICTORY

COMOSHKOSH, WI

$1,997

Sep 30, 2024

MACLEAN-FOGG COMPANY

OrganizationMUNDELEIN, IL

$58,700

Dec 28, 2023

AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY

OrganizationMARICOPA, AZ

$41,300

Dec 29, 2023

MACLEAN-FOGG COMPANY

OrganizationMUNDELEIN, IL

$41,300

Dec 28, 2023

PASCUA YAQUI TRIBE

OrganizationTUCSON, AZ

$41,300

Dec 29, 2023

TIGUA INDIAN RESERVATION

OrganizationEL PASO, TX

$41,300

Dec 19, 2023

Donor Network - Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

Show Also Donated To

PACs

Organizations

Individuals

Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Showing 61 nodes and 65 connections

Total contributions: $65

Top Donors - Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

Showing top 23 donors by contribution amount

8 Orgs15 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 2 helped.

+Telecommunicationsconfidence 0.90
Section 3(b)(1) requires an assessment of telecommunications and networking needs of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, which could lead to improved telecommunications infrastructure and services for research vessels, benefiting the telecommunications industry.
+Cybersecurityconfidence 0.90
Section 3(b)(2) requires an assessment of cybersecurity needs in consultation with CISA and NIST, and Section 3(c)(2) references cybersecurity recommendations and standards, indicating a plan to enhance cybersecurity measures, which would benefit the cybersecurity industry.

Who funds the sponsor on these industries

For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent — they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.

Industries this bill HELPS

Telecommunications$1,000
from 1 contribution
- GILES, JOHNNIE D.$1,000

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Energy and Related Commissions

Moderate

Vector: 63%

Pages: 425-427AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The ANCHOR Act aligns with Project 2025's emphasis on cybersecurity and protecting taxpayer-funded research, particularly through its focus on securing academic research infrastructure and coordinating with federal agencies like CISA and NIST. However, it does not explicitly address technology transfer to the private sector or national security asset prioritization as emphasized in the DOE-focused sections of Project 2025."

Key themes:cybersecurityresearch infrastructure protectionfederal coordinationtechnology security

— 393 — Department of Energy and Related Commissions l Ensure that R&D funds are used for projects that protect and advance that edge. l Ensure that successful advances, with a focus on new natural resource development technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and space, are transferred swiftly to American interests in the private sector. New Policies l Focus on benefits to Americans. OTT’s operations should be based on the recognition that the new technologies generated by American taxpayers’ investment in DOE are a significant national security asset rather than some neutral scientific gift to humanity. l Increase oversight and coordination. OTT needs to be vigilant in overseeing and coordinating OTT offices associated with each National Lab. For security and economic espionage reasons, the work funded by the American people needs to be protected, and when commercialized, it needs to go to American businesses. OFFICE OF SCIENCE (SC) Mission/Overview The Office of Science (SC) supports and oversees research facilities and pro- grams that cover basic science through its application to the demonstration and deployment of energy technologies. SC oversees 10 of the 17 DOE National Labs and 28 major federal research user facilities. Its mission is to preserve U.S. leader- ship in science, fund and perform basic research, and provide the scientific facilities that the private sector is unable or unwilling to provide. New initiatives include quantum information sciences and artificial intelligence. SC is led by a Senate-con- firmed Director at the Assistant Secretary level and has eight program offices.82 Needed Reforms The next conservative President should commit the United States to scientific dominance to support national and economic security, especially in light of similar efforts by China. To aid in this effort, the Office of Science should: l Return to its primary mission: nonpartisan and basic science. SC’s mission should be international leadership in basic and early applied science and provision of world-leading facilities for this work. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act mark the major — 394 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise reorientation of DOE primarily from defense applications in the NNSA and basic and early applied science across SC and the applied offices to a massive federal research, development, demonstration, and commercialization body.83 Distraction from SC’s basic science mission should be prevented. l Increase the level of accountability. The National Laboratories need to be more directly accountable to the Secretary of Energy and Congress for their work and management. New Policies l Commit to U.S. science dominance. The United States is losing its dominance in scientific discoveries and technological development. China and other adversaries have been stealing American science and technology for years and are now on the verge of dominating science—a development that is fraught with negative strategic and economic implications for the United States. The next Administration must commit itself to ensuring that the U.S. continues to dominate scientific discovery and technological advancement. l Refocus on mission and eliminate duplication and waste. The Administration should work with Congress to rationalize the National Lab network to meet specific national objectives (such as the NNSA laboratories’ role in national defense) and conduct basic research that the private sector would not otherwise conduct. Activities that duplicate those of other government agencies or the private sector should be eliminated. l Properly manage the National Labs’ contributions to the private sector. SC should improve private-sector access to the National Labs, through programs like the GAIN voucher program and consistent with national security considerations, while ensuring that the economic benefits of taxpayer-funded technologies flow back to taxpayers through patent- review sharing or a revolving fund. Budget The Office of Science was appropriated slightly more than $7 billion in FY 2021, and DOE requested slightly less than $7.8 billion for FY 2023.84 OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (EM) Mission/Overview The Office of Environmental Management’s mission is to “complete the safe cleanup of [the] environmental legacy resulting from decades of nuclear

Intelligence Community

Moderate

Vector: 62%

Pages: 251-253AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The ANCHOR Act focuses on enhancing cybersecurity and telecommunications for the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, which aligns with Project 2025's emphasis on protecting academic institutions from foreign espionage, particularly cyber threats from China and Russia. Both recognize academia as a target for intellectual property theft and advocate for strengthened counterintelligence measures in research environments."

Key themes:academic securitycyber threatsforeign espionageintellectual property protectionresearch institution safeguards

— 218 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise NATIONAL COUNTERINTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY CENTER (NCSC) The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) has taken a keen inter- est in possibly updating the codified language underpinning much of the nation’s counterintelligence apparatus. “Spy vs. spy” threats continue to exist, but the rise of China and (to an extent) Russia’s machinations move beyond the governmental sphere to technological, economic, supply chain, cyber, academic, state, and local espionage threats at a level our country has never seen. The asymmetric threat includes cyber, nontraditional collection, and issues involving legitimate busi- nesses serving as collection platforms. Barring statutory changes that could occur before 2025, a future conserva- tive President should further empower and resource the IC by executive order or through suggested changes in the Counterintelligence Enhancement Act (CEA) of 2002.32 NCSC was given some authority for outreach efforts on behalf of the IC for counterintelligence education, insider threats, and broader U.S. government best practices, but there remain significant deltas between Title 50 and non–Title 50 entities’ protections. Primary operational elements should remain at the FBI and CIA, with the Bureau and NCSC collaborating on nongovernmental outreach. While there is no need to create a separate agency, a future President and DNI should amplify NCSC’s authorities and roles with respect to counterintelligence strategy, policy, outreach, and governance, including supporting necessary Joint Duty Assignments (JDA) for FBI and CIA personnel. At the same time, the FBI requires significant additional resources and legal authorities to fulfill its statu- tory role as the lead operational counterintelligence agency in dealing with the ever-growing threats posed by our adversaries. The CEA should be updated to include foreign espionage efforts aimed at universities. Corporate America, technology companies, research institutions, and academia must be willing, educated partners in this generational fight to protect our national security interests, economic interests, national sovereignty, and intellectual prop- erty as well as the broader rules-based order—all while avoiding the tendency to cave to the left-wing activists and investors who ignore the China threat and increasingly dominate the corporate world. Reinstitution of the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board and the National Security Business Alliance Council should be prioritized with leadership from the NCSC, the FBI, or a com- bination of both entities. When the CCP steals at least $400 billion–$600 billion in intellectual prop- erty each year, it is time to devote some strategic thinking to exactly how and to what degree counterintelligence efforts can help to protect America’s commercial endeavors. If Chinese strategic technology gains are happening almost entirely in transnational commercial space, for example, and the private sector is also gath- ering and analyzing some critical intelligence, these essential data points should assist in national-level counterintelligence efforts.

Department of Commerce

Weak

Vector: 64%

Pages: 708-710AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The ANCHOR Act targets NSF-funded academic research fleet cybersecurity and telecommunications, whereas the Project 2025 Commerce section focuses on restructuring NOAA, commercializing services, and reducing climate‑alarmist activities; the only modest connection is their shared concern for oceanic research and data infrastructure."

Key themes:oceanic researchdata collectioninfrastructure modernization

— 675 — Department of Commerce l The National Ocean Service (NOS); l The Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR); l The National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS); l The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS); and l The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and NOAA Corps. Together, these form a colossal operation that has become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity. This industry’s mission emphasis on prediction and management seems designed around the fatal conceit of planning for the unplannable. That is not to say NOAA is useless, but its current organization corrupts its useful func- tions. It should be broken up and downsized. NOAA today boasts that it is a provider of environmental information services, a provider of environmental stewardship services, and a leader in applied scientific research. Each of these functions could be provided commercially, likely at lower cost and higher quality. Focus the NWS on Commercial Operations. Each day, Americans rely on weather forecasts and warnings provided by local radio stations and colleges that are produced not by the NWS, but by private companies such as AccuWeather. Studies have found that the forecasts and warnings provided by the private com- panies are more reliable than those provided by the NWS.2 The NWS provides data the private companies use and should focus on its data-gathering services. Because private companies rely on these data, the NWS should fully commercialize its forecasting operations. NOAA does not currently utilize commercial partnerships as some other agencies do. Commercialization of weather technologies should be prioritized to ensure that taxpayer dollars are invested in the most cost-efficient technol- ogies for high quality research and weather data. Investing in different sizes of commercial partners will increase competition while ensuring that the govern- ment solutions provided by each contract is personalized to the needs of NOAA’s weather programs. The NWS should be a candidate to become a Performance-Based Organization to better enforce organizational focus on core functions such as efficient delivery of accurate, timely, and unbiased data to the public and to the private sector.3 Review the Work of the National Hurricane Center and the National Environmental Satellite Service. The National Hurricane Center and National Environmental Satellite Service data centers provide important public safety and — 676 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise business functions as well as academic functions, and are used by forecasting agen- cies and scientists internationally. Data continuity is an important issue in climate science. Data collected by the department should be presented neutrally, without adjustments intended to support any one side in the climate debate. Transfer NOS Survey Functions to the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Geo- logical Survey. Survey operations have historically accounted for almost half the NOS budget. These functions could be transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Geological Survey to increase efficiency. NOS’ expansion of the National Marine Sanctuaries System should also be reviewed, as discussed below. Streamline NMFS. Overlap exists between the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Overly simplified, the NMFS handles saltwater species while the Fish and Wildlife Service focuses on fresh water. The goals of these two agencies should be streamlined. Harmonize the Magnuson–Stevens Act with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Under the auspices of NOS, marine sanctuaries (including no-fishing zones) are being established country-wide, often conflicting with the goals of the Magnu- son–Stevens Act fisheries management authorities of NOAA Fisheries, regional fishery management councils, and relevant states. Withdraw the 30x30 Executive Order and Associated America the Beautiful Ini- tiative. The 30x30 Executive Order and the American the Beautiful Initiative are being used to advance an agenda to close vast areas of the ocean to commercial activities, including fishing, while rapidly advancing offshore wind energy devel- opment to the detriment of fisheries and other existing ocean-based industries. Modify Regulations Implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. These acts are currently being abused at a cost to fisheries and Native American subsistence activities around the U.S. Allow a NEPA Exemption for Fisheries Actions. All the requirements for robust analysis of the biological, economic, and social impacts of proposed regulatory action in fisheries are contained with the Magnuson–Stevens Act, the guiding Act for fisheries. NEPA overlays these requirements with onerous, redundant, and time-consuming process requirements, which routinely cause unnecessary delays in the promulgation of timely fisheries management actions. The Department of Commerce and the Council on Environmental Quality should collaborate to reduce this redundancy. Downsize the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. OAR provides theoretical science, as opposed to the applied science of the National Hurricane Center. OAR is, however, the source of much of NOAA’s climate alarmism. The preponderance of its climate-change research should be disbanded. OAR is a large network of research laboratories, an undersea research center, and several joint research institutes with universities. These operations should be reviewed with an aim of consolidation and reduction of bloat.

Department of Commerce

Weak

Vector: 64%

Pages: 708-710AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The ANCHOR Act focuses on enhancing cybersecurity and telecommunications for the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, which is unrelated to the Project 2025 Department of Commerce objectives centered on restructuring NOAA, transferring survey functions, streamlining fisheries management, and reducing climate research. There is no direct thematic or policy overlap between the bill and the specified Project 2025 section."

Key themes:oceanic researchmarine operations

— 676 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise business functions as well as academic functions, and are used by forecasting agen- cies and scientists internationally. Data continuity is an important issue in climate science. Data collected by the department should be presented neutrally, without adjustments intended to support any one side in the climate debate. Transfer NOS Survey Functions to the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Geo- logical Survey. Survey operations have historically accounted for almost half the NOS budget. These functions could be transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Geological Survey to increase efficiency. NOS’ expansion of the National Marine Sanctuaries System should also be reviewed, as discussed below. Streamline NMFS. Overlap exists between the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Overly simplified, the NMFS handles saltwater species while the Fish and Wildlife Service focuses on fresh water. The goals of these two agencies should be streamlined. Harmonize the Magnuson–Stevens Act with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Under the auspices of NOS, marine sanctuaries (including no-fishing zones) are being established country-wide, often conflicting with the goals of the Magnu- son–Stevens Act fisheries management authorities of NOAA Fisheries, regional fishery management councils, and relevant states. Withdraw the 30x30 Executive Order and Associated America the Beautiful Ini- tiative. The 30x30 Executive Order and the American the Beautiful Initiative are being used to advance an agenda to close vast areas of the ocean to commercial activities, including fishing, while rapidly advancing offshore wind energy devel- opment to the detriment of fisheries and other existing ocean-based industries. Modify Regulations Implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. These acts are currently being abused at a cost to fisheries and Native American subsistence activities around the U.S. Allow a NEPA Exemption for Fisheries Actions. All the requirements for robust analysis of the biological, economic, and social impacts of proposed regulatory action in fisheries are contained with the Magnuson–Stevens Act, the guiding Act for fisheries. NEPA overlays these requirements with onerous, redundant, and time-consuming process requirements, which routinely cause unnecessary delays in the promulgation of timely fisheries management actions. The Department of Commerce and the Council on Environmental Quality should collaborate to reduce this redundancy. Downsize the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. OAR provides theoretical science, as opposed to the applied science of the National Hurricane Center. OAR is, however, the source of much of NOAA’s climate alarmism. The preponderance of its climate-change research should be disbanded. OAR is a large network of research laboratories, an undersea research center, and several joint research institutes with universities. These operations should be reviewed with an aim of consolidation and reduction of bloat. — 677 — Department of Commerce Break Up the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and Reassign Its Assets to Other Agencies During This Process. The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, which provides the ships and planes used by NOAA agencies, should be broken up and its assets reassigned to the General Services Administra- tion or to other agencies. Use Small Innovation Prizes and Competitions to Encourage High-Qual- ity Research. Lowering the barriers of entry for startups and small businesses will also provide greater innovation without excessive increases in spending. Reaching beyond traditional partnerships for innovative engagement tools that encourage entrepreneurial innovation will allow NOAA’s research programs to adapt more quickly to the world’s changing needs. Multiple competitions should take place in cities to attract a variety of innovators and investors to propel innovation forward in a way that benefits the needs of NOAA. Ensure Appointees Agree with Administration Aims. Scientific agencies like NOAA are vulnerable to obstructionism of an Administration’s aims if political appointees are not wholly in sync with Administration policy. Particular attention must be paid to appointments in this area. Elevate the Office of Space Commerce. The Office of Space Commerce is the executive branch advocate on behalf of the U.S. commercial space industry. This office should be the vehicle for a new Administration to set a robust and unified whole-of-government commercial space policy that cements U.S. lead- ership in one of the most crucial industries of the future. The Office’s current mission has been lost owing to its position within NESDIS, which sees no role for itself in advancing the industry and the space economy, including ensuring global competitiveness. OSC is, by law, the Department of Commerce’s lead on space policy and must therefore link directly to all the bureaus and other orga- nizations within the department. The Office needs to be returned to OS, within which it existed for the first two decades of its existence. From OS, the Office could serve as a coordinating entity for the whole-of-government commercial space policy desperately needed to secure America’s place as the global leader in commercial space operations. There presently exists no unified U.S. government policy on commercial space operations, with the Federal Communications Commission largely responsible for establishing space policy by default through its regulation of radio spectrum licenses. Now that routine space operations are commercially viable, it is critical that a new Administration establish reasonable government policies that ensure the U.S. will continue to be the flag of choice for commercial space activities. The President should, by executive order, direct the Office of Space Commerce, working with the National Space Council, to establish a whole-of-government policy for licensing and oversight of commercial space operations.

Federal Communications Commission

Weak

Vector: 61%

Pages: 888-890AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The ANCHOR Act focuses on improving cybersecurity and telecommunications for the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, which involves some telecommunications infrastructure but is narrowly scoped to research vessels. Project 2025's FCC section emphasizes broadband expansion, satellite technology, regulatory reform, and ending wasteful spending on overbuilt networks—goals not directly addressed by the bill. While both involve telecommunications, the ANCHOR Act lacks alignment with Project 2025's prioriti"

Key themes:telecommunicationsinfrastructure improvementcybersecurity

— 855 — Federal Communications Commission so a new Administration should redouble efforts to require timely reviews and final actions by agencies with jurisdiction over federal lands, including the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. l Advance America’s space leadership. One of the most significant technological developments of the past few years has been the emergence of a new generation of low-earth orbit satellites like StarLink and Kuiper. This technology can beam a reliable, high-speed Internet signal to nearly any part of the globe at a fraction of the cost of other technologies. This has the potential to significantly accelerate efforts to end the digital divide and disrupt the federal regulatory and subsidy regime that applies to communications networks. The FCC should expedite its work to support this new technology by acting more quickly in its review and approval of applications to launch new satellites. Otherwise, the U.S. risks ceding space leadership to entities based in countries with more friendly regulatory environments. Holding Government Accountable. Federal technology and telecommunica- tions programs have been plagued by a troubling lack of accountability and good governance. They would benefit from stronger oversight and a fresh look at elim- inating outdated regulations that are doing more harm than good. l End wasteful broadband spending policies. Many of the broadband spending policies being pursued by the current Administration are poised to waste taxpayer money while leaving rural communities and unconnected Americans behind. At the same time, the dramatic recent increases in funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act mean that the federal government has more than enough resources to meet its broadband connectivity goals. Congress should therefore hold the agencies accountable so that taxpayer money is used effectively to promote broadband connectivity across the nation. To that end, the next Administration should instruct the various departments and agencies that are administering broadband infrastructure funds to direct those resources to communities without adequate Internet infrastructure instead of to places that already enjoy broadband connectivity. Take, for example, the final rules that the Treasury Department adopted in 2022 that govern the expenditure of $350 billion in ARPA funds. Rather than directing those dollars to the rural and other communities that have no Internet infrastructure, the current — 856 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise Administration gave the green light for recipients to spend those funds to overbuild existing high-speed networks in communities that already have multiple broadband providers. A new Administration should eliminate government-funded overbuilding of existing networks. l Adopt a national coordinating strategy. Hundreds of billions of infrastructure dollars have been appropriated by Congress or budgeted by agencies over the past couple of years that can be used to end the digital divide. Yet, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, “U.S. broadband efforts are not guided by a national strategy”; instead, “[f]ederal broadband efforts are fragmented and overlapping, with more than 100 programs administered by 15 agencies,” risking overbuilding as well as wasteful duplication.26 Many of these programs remain plagued by inefficiency, further contributing to waste of limited taxpayer dollars. Moreover, the federal government is failing to put appropriate guardrails in place to govern the expenditure of billions in broadband funds. This is the regulatory equivalent of turning the spigot on full blast and then walking away from the hose. There is a worrisome lack of adequate tracking, measurement, and accountability standards governing all of this broadband spending. As a result, we are likely to see headline levels of waste, fraud, and abuse. A new Administration needs to bring fresh oversight to this spending and put a national strategy in place to ensure that the federal government adopts a coordinated approach to its various broadband initiatives. Similarly, the next Administration should ask the FCC to launch a review of its existing broadband programs, including the different components of the USF, with the goal of avoiding duplication, improving efficiency of existing programs, and saving taxpayer money. l Correct the FCC’s regulatory trajectory and encourage competition to improve connectivity. The FCC is a New Deal–era agency. Its history of regulation tends to reflect the view that the federal government should impose heavy-handed regulation rather than relying on competition and market forces to produce optimal outcomes. President Franklin D. Roosevelt recommended that Congress create the FCC in February 1934 for the purposes of establishing “a single Government agency charged with broad authority” over the field of communications.27 Congress subsequently established the FCC through the Communications Act of 1934. Congress has passed a number of additional statutes—some broad, some

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

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ANCHOR Act

Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

$89,100 raised

70% match to Project 2025

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed Senate

House Review

Passed Congress

Presidential Action

Became Law

Bill Summary

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💰 Campaign Finance Network

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]

Donor Network - Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

Top Donors - Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

Industries this bill HELPS

Project 2025 Policy Matches

Department of Energy and Related Commissions

Intelligence Community

Department of Commerce

Department of Commerce

Federal Communications Commission

About These Correlations

Related Bills

Other Bills by Sen. Padilla, Alex

Similar Topics