news

Roll Call highlighted the bipartisan work of Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) and California Congressman Jerry McNerney in an article today. Latta and McNerney both serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee and recently launched the bipartisan Wi-Fi Caucus. They also have a long history of working on improving the country’s energy infrastructure.

The article is available here.

They Bonded at Yucca Mountain. Now They’re Tackling Wi-Fi

You’re probably reading this article thanks to Wi-Fi. That’s what brought Bob Latta and Jerry McNerney together too. 

The two lawmakers — one an Ohio Republican, the other a California Democrat — teamed up to form the bipartisan Congressional Wi-Fi Caucus, which they launched in October at the height of election turmoil and the partisan fight over who would control the House.

The point of the caucus is to have an open dialogue about the wireless networking concerns that touch people’s lives, or will soon enough — things like 5G, cybersecurity, smart cities, spectrum optimization and autonomous vehicles. 

It helped that Latta and McNerney already get along, the two said on a joint phone interview earlier this month.

Their relationship began in the trenches of the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository in Nevada. They were on a trip with other members to inspect the waste.

“Bob and I went on that trip, we stayed in the same hotel and we got to know each other a little bit. I recognize that Bob is someone that’s easy to work with. We’re clearly on other sides of the fence, but I can see his point of view, and I’m willing to work with him to get stuff done,” McNerney said.

Their relationship has also trickled down to the aide level.

“He’s got a good staff. My staff appreciates that. It’s just been a good partnership,” the California Democrat said.

Full text is available here.

###