First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7386, the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

On 9/11, first responders faced tremendous challenges in trying to communicate with each other and coordinate their response to the terrorist attacks. There was no dedicated network for public safety communications.

In 2012, Congress fixed that problem by authorizing the creation of the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet. FirstNet has become a cornerstone of our Nation's public safety communications. It ensures that first responders, no matter where they serve, have access to a reliable, interoperable, and resilient broadband network that prioritizes public safety when it matters most.

Today, that mission is more critical than ever. As natural disasters, extreme weather events, and emergencies grow more frequent and more complex, our first responders need communication capabilities supported by infrastructure they can depend on without fail.

This bill takes an important step forward, on a bipartisan basis, toward that goal. It reauthorizes FirstNet for 10 years, providing certainty for the public safety community for the foreseeable future. At the same time, it strengthens oversight, transparency, and the accountability of the FirstNet Authority, ensuring that this vital network remains responsive, effective, and worthy of the trust placed in it by first responders.

The bill also provides important clarity about the relationship between the board and the FirstNet Authority, ensuring that public safety officials remain at the core of decisionmaking.

Importantly, it strikes the right balance: preserving speed and operational continuity while ensuring that governance keeps pace with the scale and importance of the network. Oversight and stability are not competing goals. They complement one another for the benefit of public safety.

I thank Ranking Members Pallone and Matsui, Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson, and my colleague Mr. Dunn of Florida for their leadership and partnership on advancing this bill.

This is a strong, bipartisan product, shaped through regular order in the Committee on Energy and Commerce with input from stakeholders. Ultimately, this legislation is grounded in a shared commitment to support those who put their lives on the line every single day.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7386, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

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Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 7386, the First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act.

Again, this not only implements the lessons learned from 9/11, but this bill strengthens the FirstNet Authority so that ultimately a network that could not have been imagined in 2001 now will be always available, dedicated, and interoperable for our first responders so that they know they can do their job and not worry about their communication system going down.

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