Sen. Cruz says spectrum ‘deal is done’ in Big Beautiful Bill, though won’t be passed by July 4

Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz is pessimistic about Congress passing President Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" by July 4 but vows his measure to help the U.S. better compete in the global, next-generation technology race will be included in the spending resolution when it reaches the president's desk.

“The deal is done," Sen. Cruz said Wednesday at a forum held in Washington, D.C., by Punchbowl News. "We cut a deal."

The bill centers on spectrum – the range of electromagnetic frequencies used for wireless communication and other applications – and if signed into law would allow the U.S. to sell some of its control to telecommunications companies.

While the House's companion bill is part of the final spending bill that the lower chamber recently passed, the Senate is still working to complete and pass its version. Once the upper chamber passes its version, House and Senate negotiators will agree on a final version to send to Trump for his signature. 

"It is going to be in the Senate bill. It is going to be in the final bill that is signed into law, and that is a big deal," also said Cruz, the Senate Commerce Committee chairman.  

If signed into law, the bill would allow the federal government to auction mid-band spectrum and create a 800 megahertz spectrum pipeline – with some exclusions placed for national security spectrum. 

Currently, 60 percent of U.S. mid-band spectrum is federally owned and controlled, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Cruz believes it could be put to better use if a percentage were auctioned off to U.S. telecommunication corporations.

“AT&T encourages the House to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act because we support the tax and spectrum pipeline provisions that will enable us to continue investing in next-generation broadband networks,” AT&T told the White House.

However, some Republican hawks oppose reducing the federal spectrum. GOP Sens. Josh Hawley, Missouri, and Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee, oppose the provision outright, according to Punchbowl.

Still, Cruz argues the deal is an important step for the United States to win major technology races.

“We need to win the race for 5G and 6G," he says. "We need to win the race for AI. We also need to win the race for space.” Cruz said.

According to the Finnish multinational corporation Nokia, “mid-band spectrum is perfect for 5G because it carries plenty of data while traveling significant distances.”

Republicans’ mammoth budget reconciliation bill includes major changes to Medicaid, food stamps, student loans and more. It also permanently extends President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts – at a cost of at least $3.3 trillion.

Spectrum auction authority would raise a projected $85 billion, though Cruz said this estimate is historically low.

“Unleashing spectrum is going to result in billions of dollars invested in building out 5G and 6G and that is going to produce hundreds of thousands of jobs,” Cruz said.