I’m so sorry to bother you at this time of the night!!! Congress just made a sneaky move, resurrecting a dead 2023 bill that joins forces with the FCC in a coordinated federal attack to strip local communities of their say over wireless infrastructure. This underhanded markup vote is happening tomorrow morning -- if we don’t act fast, the power to decide will be gone for good. Call your representatives tonight and make your voice heard before it’s too late!
SOUNDING THE HORN: THE CONDUCTOR’S BRIEF (NEW! A fast, clear summary of the key takeaways to keep you informed on the go)
Four days ago, on November 13, 2025, Congress quietly resurrected a 2023 telecom bill that mirrors the FCC’s ongoing rulemaking effort (WT Docket 25-276) as I covered earlier, HERE.
The bill is set for markup tomorrow morning (Nov 18) by the House Communications & Technology Subcommittee, part of the Energy & Commerce Committee.
This legislation aims to strip local governments of their authority over siting decisions for wireless infrastructure. Local zoning, environmental, safety, and aesthetic standards would be overridden by federal preemption.
The move is part of a coordinated, two-pronged federal assault --legislative and regulatory -- to push the telecom industry’s agenda without meaningful local oversight or public input.
Once passed, telecom companies could rapidly deploy 5G/6G infrastructure in communities nationwide with minimal delays or opposition.
The Congressional markup vote is a crucial tipping point that could fast-track this bill through the House and into law as early as 2026.
Alert your community and allies NOW. Tell your friends now about the markup vote tomorrow and the stakes involved.
CALL THESE LEGISLATORS TONIGHT!
Subcommittee general office: | (202) 225-3641
Richard Hudson (R-NC) | Chair of the Subcommittee | (202) 225-3715 |
Doris Matsui (D-CA) | Ranking Member | (202) 225-7163 |
Rick Allen (R-GA) | Vice Chair | (202) 225 2823|
Call the above members of the House Communications & Technology Subcommittee and demand they reject this sellout of local authority. Tell them to stop the markup of 28 bills to streamline broadband permitting
At the very least, if you can’t make a call, sign THIS! https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-telecom-overreach/thankyou
(Fill in “Science, Technology, Communications” for your “topic.”
MAKE NO MISTAKE: THIS IS COORDINATED
Tomorrow morning, the House Communications & Technology Subcommittee, operating under the Energy & Commerce Committee, will “mark up” a resurrected 2023 telecom bill that would gut local permitting authority. In bureaucratic English, “markup” means to edit, finalize, and fast‑track a bill for a vote. In plain terms, it means Washington is about to hand the telecom industry a blank check to install antennas and towers wherever it wants.
This move by Congress is both maniacal and underhanded -- a clear reaction to growing public awareness and opposition to the FCC’s proposed rule changes. By resurrecting a shadowy 2023 bill out of the blue, they are attempting to force our hand and dictate our fate before we can fully mobilize.
It’s a coordinated power grab designed to bypass transparency and steamroll local control under the guise of federal “modernization.” This forced rush underscores their desperation to silence community voices and lock in corporate dominance over our neighborhoods.
If this bill (a series of bills, really) ultimately passes, city and county governments will lose their say over:
Setbacks from schools and homes.
Local design and aesthetic standards.
Fire safety and placement restrictions.
Saturation limits within residential zones.
Every one of those protections — gone. Federal preemption would override community rules, zoning boards, and even public input.
Once Congress passes the telecom bill, the train is moving down the track, the legislative path continues as follows:
Senate Consideration:
The bill moves next to the Senate, where it will be assigned to the relevant Senate committee(s) for review, possible hearings, and amendments. The Senate may approve the bill as-is, modify it, or hold it up depending on political dynamics.Senate Vote:
Following committee approval, the full Senate will hold a vote on the bill. If the Senate makes changes, the bill may return to the House for reconciliation.Presidential Signature:
Once both chambers agree on the final text, the bill is sent to the President for signature. Upon signing, it becomes law.Implementation:
After enactment, the bill's provisions take effect according to specified timelines—often immediately or within short regulatory periods. The FCC and telecoms will then proceed with rulemaking, enforcement, and accelerated deployment under the new federal preemption rules.
This means that even after passage in the House, there is still a critical decision-making phase in the Senate and with the President -- both of which provide additional opportunities for public input and advocacy before the bill becomes law.
Meanwhile, the FCC is quietly advancing its own sweeping rule — WT Docket 25‑276 — which aims to achieve the very same outcome through agency rulemaking rather than legislation.
The FCC plan would nationalize siting decisions and nullify local permitting in the name of “streamlining deployment.” In practice, it hands regulatory power to telecom giants and treats public safety, aesthetics, and environmental concerns as red tape to be eliminated.
So while Congress pushes a bill through the House, the FCC is racing to cement identical powers through regulation -- a twin-track strategy designed to ensure that one or the other succeeds.
This isn’t coincidence. It’s choreography.
Federal lawmakers and telecom-friendly regulators are synchronizing their moves, advancing parallel initiatives to:
Centralize control in Washington.
Sideline city councils and county supervisors.
Quash environmental and health reviews.
Pave the way for unchecked 6G and IoT networks nationwide.
Whether by statute or agency decree, the result is the same: local democracy erased, replaced by corporate convenience.
Go to this link to learn more and sign! https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-telecom-overreach/
The subcommittee’s markup includes a package of measures -- such as H.R. 3557, H.R. 4141, and H.R. 1338 -- each designed to expand federal preemption over local wireless siting. Together, they dismantle the last barriers between your town and total telecom saturation.
These aren’t routine housekeeping bills. They are structural rewrites of who gets to decide what happens on your street, your roofline, your skyline.
THE HILL WE STAND ON
Tomorrow’s vote is more than procedural. It’s the moment when elected representatives decide whether our republic ends at the cell tower gate.
If this passes, neither you nor your local government will have the right to question where antennas are installed, how many, or which safety standards apply. That power will belong solely to corporations and bureaucrats insulated from public accountability.
Now is the time to act -- tonight.
Subcommittee general office: | (202) 225-3641
Richard Hudson (R-NC) | Chair Subcommittee | (202) 225-3715
Doris Matsui (D-CA) | Ranking Member | (202) 225-7163 |
Rick Allen (R-GA) | Vice Chair | (202) 225 2823|
Call the above members of the House Communications & Technology Subcommittee and demand they reject this sellout of local authority. Tell them to stop the markup of 28 bills to streamline broadband permitting.
Call members of the House Communications & Technology Subcommittee and demand they reject this sellout of local authority.
If they succeed tomorrow, both legislative and regulatory pathways will be locked in -- and local voices will be silenced for good.
Because when both Congress and the FCC are working overtime to take the same hill, that’s the hill to die on.
WHAT TO SAY
When you call, mention:
You are calling about the upcoming markup of a bill you believe will “virtually eliminate local control over wireless infrastructure placement.”
Ask them to ensure your concerns are entered into the record and urge them not to support the bill as written unless meaningful local-control protections are restored.
Identify yourself as being from your specific community and explain how the local control issue impacts you.
Again, I apologize for bugging you during the evening!
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