POLITICO Morning Tech: Under pressure, Biden backs antitrust push

FIRST IN MT: DEMOCRATS PRESS BIDEN ON PICKING CTO — Several House Energy and Commerce Democrats are urging Biden to fast-track the nomination of a U.S. chief technology officer, a federal post they say could help clean up the chaos over 5G airwaves.

— “With the backing of the White House, a CTO can be a powerful force in ensuring the administration speaks with one voice on spectrum matters,” wrote the Democrats, led by Congressional Spectrum Caucus co-chair Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) alongside seven Energy and Commerce colleagues. The lawmakers also pushed for Biden to bolster the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s authority to oversee federal spectrum use.

That’s notable given years of tussling among the FCC and federal agencies, with occasional confusion over which of them speaks for the executive branch on spectrum issues. (Historically, that’s supposed to be NTIA — but other agencies like DOT and the Pentagon have bashed FCC decisions they oppose.)

— Knock knock, who’s there? The CTO post, which requires Senate confirmation, has been vacant since Michael Kratsios, a Trump appointee, left more than a year ago. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced in December it was actively seeking contenders for the position. But OSTP didn’t immediately comment when MT asked about the search.

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