Here's the registration link for the Federal Bills meeting: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcldeuhrDItHtHSz4DbrVwAxaJeP--XwsU9

Speak out, while we still can!

Contact your U.S. Rep / Senator this week.

Forward this email to your email lists. 

Please:

1. To find your federal electeds, call 202-225-3121 Capitol switchboard or find there at https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials?iframe=1&iframe=1&iframe=1&iframe=1
2. Call your Rep and two Senators and ask for the telecom staffer.  Also, go to their website “contact” page.
3. Request a “zoom call to discuss Telecom bills to bridge the broadband digital divide.”  
4. Set up meetings along the availability times for Charles and Odette who will talk about the federal telecom bills.

Week of Feb 17:

M 10am-4pm

Tu 1-2pm; 3-4pm

W 10-10:45am; 1:30-2pm; 3-4pm

Th N/A

Fr 10am-11:30pm; 1:45-3:30pm

Availabilities for the next two weeks are forthcoming.

5.  Contact us at hello@thenationalcall.org with the names and emails of the staffers so that we can send out a Zoom link for the meeting

6.  Forward this email to a friend.

Bills introduced since Jan. 2025

HR 339      Introduced by Rep. Crenshaw (TX) to add wireless antennas on any structure (includes buildings, schools, cell towers) without consent of tenants, teachers or parents

HR 279      Introduced by Rep. Griffith (VA) expands federal preemption over local government without consent by adding antennas to supposedly “improve” service

HR 471      Introduced by Rep. Westerman (AR) Pilot program to use 5G to detect wildfires without regard to cell towers already having caused devastating wildfire

Bills from last congressional session that may get re-introduced this congressional session -- our message would be the same:

1. Oppose HR 4141, HR 7376, and HR 8230.  (HR7376 and HR8230 contain parts of HR4141)  Keep NEPA environmental and NHPA historical reviews for ugly and radiation-emitting cell towers (preferably far from neighborhoods, schools and parks).  Respect consumer preference for broadband that is safe, as well as reliable, secure and more affordable in the long run - i.e., a WIRED Internet connection.
2. Oppose inserting any of these bills, or pieces of them, into larger “must-pass” legislation
3. Oppose all other Wireless language - in the FARM, Parks & NTIA Reauthorization bills - until amended to condition antenna deployment on prior Federal Communications Commission (FCC) compliance with the 2021 DC Federal Appeals Court order to base Radio Frequency Microwave (RF/MW) radiation exposure limits on the 11,000 pages of scientific evidence of biological harm to humans and the environment that the court remanded FCC for “capriciously” ignoring.
4. Cosponsor HR 8082 (Smith, NJ), restoring local government discretion on antenna location - so property owners can cooperate with authorities to zone cell towers far from bedrooms, classrooms and parks - and have instead the WIRED broadband connection polls show 2/3rds of Americans prefe

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Other bills that may get introduced:

1) S.1764 Western Wildfire Support Act has not yet been voted on by the Senate

Directs federal land management agencies to expedite deployment and permitting of technology for wildfire detection. This technology includes "Sensors, cameras, and other relevant equipment," which will likely require wired and wireless connectivity and electricity. 

Call and email your U.S. Senator to: 

(a) amend S.1764 to expressly exclude wireless technologies from Sections 201 and 206 because of the risk of fires from wireless facilities and 

(b) ask for a Roll Call vote
 

(2)  HR 8790 Fix Our Forests Act -- Section 303 provides for a pilot study to test 5G to prevent wildfires.  This passed the House, so it is now in the Senate.  

Call and email your U.S. Senator to:

(a) amend HR 8790 Section 303 to exclude wireless because of the risk of fires from wireless facilities and

(b) ask for a Roll Call vote

Cell towers are electrical installations and have already caused fires. See Fact Sheet on Wildfire Risk and Cell Towers (above the fold). 

Scheduling Meetings

Please set up those meetings now with your Rep and 2 Senators.  Ask for the telecom staffer to discuss the federal telecom bills and bridging the digital divide.

Just contact your U.S. Representative and Senators.  At the meeting, Charles Frohman, lobbyist for the National Health Federation, and Odette will discuss the bills. You just bring yourself, other constituents and local officials (if possible) to the meeting, and talk about your experiences on the local level - protests, city council meetings, health impact, articles, etc.  

To stay up to date on bills and our submissions to committees in Congress, please see:

https://ehtrust.org/congress/ 

https://thenationalcall.org/advocacy-and-action/ 

• HR 8467 - Farm Bill - streamline wireless deployment and eliminate environmental review for a large swath of towers
• HR 8082 - nullify the small cell order. SUPPORT. Need NJ-Smith Zoom call
• HR 8230 - NEPA exemptions in national forests. OPPOSE. Need SD-Johnson Zoom call
• HR 6492 - Federal lands omnibus bill, incorporates S 2018 to carpet 5G towers in forests, a serious fire risk - AMEND in Senate
• HR 4510 - NTIA Reauthorization Act, incorporates HR 1123 to study cybersecurity but expressly excludes 5G which is most insecure - AMEND
• HR 1513 creates an FCC 6G task force to create plans for 6G deployments. AMEND to require the task force also to study health and environmental impacts.

Here is a 1-1/2 pager to explain the issues - a Congressional briefing. https://thenationalcall.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Congressional-Briefing-5-19-24-FINAL.pdf 

Attached are fact sheets on the federal bills, bills passed in the House, and our comments to the FCC's then proposed Net Neutrality rule.   The final FCC Net Neutrality order mentions our comments ("Wired Broadband, Inc. et al") 19 times. Although the FCC disagreed with us, we are now being acknowledged. See order at https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-restores-net-neutrality-0.

It's important that we expand our efforts in reaching our electeds in Congress and the Senate.  Pro-telecom bills are already passing through Committees and the House, so we need to act quickly.  Many of our US Representatives and Senators are in favor of these bills. We need to change that.