Cantwell, Gomez Don’t Want FCC to Repeal Cybersecurity Rule

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2025 – The top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee and the only Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission aren’t happy the agency is planning to scrap a cybersecurity rule instituted at the end of the Biden administration.

In January, former FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued a new rule that interpreted federal wiretapping law to require that telecom carriers secure their entire networks against hacks, rather than just the equipment law enforcement agencies use for surveillance.

The rules were a response to the Salt Typhoon hack, in which hackers linked to the Chinese government gained sweeping access to U.S. telecom networks. Current FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a commissioner at the time, dissented from the rules and announced last month the agency would vote on repealing them at its Nov. 20 meeting.