Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), ranking member of the House Communications Subcommittee, said he will not be running for re-election in 2022.
He said with redistricting, he is up against the new boundaries of his 18th district and he said it was a good transition time for a new — Democratic — member of Congress to get acclimated to the district.
He also said it was time for the next generation of party leadership. Doyle will be 69 at the end of his term.
Doyle said he was making the announcement now so that candidates will step forward, but that he has no one in mind. He did say if he did find a candidate he liked he would endorse him. He pointed out he was in a seven-way primary when he was elected. He said he would like to see a similar race bringing different ideas from all parts of the party.
Doyle, who has been in Congress since 1995, has been one of the most prominent legislators in the communications space, including pushing for the return of network neutrality rules and big bucks for universal broadband deployment. He has headed the committee since Democrats took over control of the House in 2018 and before that was ranking member.
Just last week, in the wake of the revelations by a Facebook whistleblower and allegations about the company’s internal research about the impact of its platforms on young people, House Energy & Commerce Committee leaders including Doyle proposed a bill that targets “reckless” use of algorithms by limiting Section 230, which protects edge providers from civil liability for most third-party content on their platforms. He pointed out that legislation in a press conference announcing his exit.
He also recently introduced a bill with Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) that would free up more spectrum for wireless broadband using a sharing approach.
Doyle's legislative director, Phil Murphy, left last June to become a senior adviser to the Biden Administration on telecom policy.
“Throughout his over 25 years in the House of Representatives, Rep. Mike Doyle has worked tirelessly to represent the interests of his Pennsylvania district in Washington, D.C." said NCTA-the Internet & Television Association. "He has distinguished himself during that time as a talented and respected policymaker, playing an important role in shaping communications and spectrum policy the United States. He has compiled a commendable record of accomplishments, including his work to facilitate the growth of Wi-Fi and the expansion of broadband across the country. His leadership as chair of the Communications Subcommittee (and his legendary management of the Democratic baseball team) will be sorely missed, and we wish him well in the next chapter of his life.”
“Proud of his Pittsburgh roots and dedicated to improving the lives of his constituents, Rep. Mike Doyle was greatly admired and respected because he always made clear that his chief loyalty was simply to be the best public servant he could be," said ACA Connects President Matt Polka. "We appreciate that Rep. Doyle took the time to understand our issues and allow ACA Connects to interact in positive ways with his House Communications & Technology Subcommittee – most recently in June, 2019, when ACA Connects Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers testified on legislation that would soon become the Television Viewer Protection Act of 2019 (TVPA). That law took a big step forward in rectifying disparities in retransmission consent law harmful to the customers of smaller multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs)."
"Mike Doyle is a champion for competition, consumers and a better Congress that works together to help improve the lives of working families," said INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering. "Maybe better than anyone in public service, Mike understands the impact policies crafted in Washington have on the wallets of families and small businesses back home. Leaving a tremendous legacy on broadband, Mike's support for competition policy has helped bring greater affordability and innovation in the marketplace.
"Mike Doyle has led by example, showing great integrity for the Institution of Congress, working across the aisle, and carrying on the great legacy of Congressional Baseball, which has always proven to be more than just a game. We look forward to working with Chairman Doyle until the last out of the last inning to ensure better, faster broadband gets deployed to every American.”
“NAB congratulates Rep. Doyle on his retirement and we thank him for his leadership on telecommunications issues while serving as chairman and ranking member of the House Communications & Technology Subcommittee," said National Association of Broadcasters President Gordon Smith. "During his 14 terms in Congress, Rep. Doyle has been diligently focused on serving his constituents and we appreciate his recognition for the vital role local radio and television stations play in his district and in communities across the country. We look forward to continuing to work with him in the 117th Congress and wish him all the best in his next endeavors.”
“Representative Mike Doyle has been an influential advocate of self-driving cars and next generation mobility technology," said Michael Petricone, SVP at the Consumer Technology Association. "We thank him for his service and his advocacy for American innovation.”
