The tech policy crowd  will want to pay close attention to a Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee hearing this afternoon on the proposed sale of spectrum and marketing agreements between Verizon Wireless and a group of cable companies. Under the proposed deal, Verizon would pay $3.6 billion to acquire unused spectrum bought previously at auction by Comcast, Bright House, Cox and Time Warner Cable. Verizon and the cable companies have also signed confidential side agreements under which they would agree to cross-promote and sell each other's products.

The secrecy surrounding the side agreements, which were heavily redacted in the companies' FCC filings, has prompted some critics to label the arrangement a communications cartel. Public interest groups and rivals such as T-Mobile have argued that the deal would give Verizon incentive to stop offering its FiOS product as competition for cable providers, reducing competition and harming consumers. The Department of Justice Antitrust Division has opened an investigation into the deal, but Wednesday's hearing will be the first opportunity for lawmakers to have their concerns addressed in public. Expect questions about the relationship between the spectrum sale and the marketing agreements, as well as the cost of any bundled service offerings.

Comcast executive vice president David Cohen posted a preview Tuesday of the arguments he will make to lawmakers defending the deal as good for consumers. Other witnesses scheduled to testify are Verizon Wireless general counsel Randal Milch; Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Washington office managing partner Charles Rule; Rural Cellular Association president Steven Berry; Free Press policy adviser Joel Kelsey and Columbia University law professor Timothy Wu.

Senate Votes on IPO Bill: CQ's Ben Weyl and Joseph Schatz report that the Senate will invoke cloture on a bill today intended to loosen capital restrictions on small businesses and make it easier to go public. The House passed the bill (HR 3606) on March 8 by a vote of 390-23 and gained the president's backing, putting pressure on Senate Democrats to accept what has been termed the JOBS Act. Democrats attempted to amend the bill Tuesday to add additional protections for investors, but chamber Republicans blocked a cloture vote to take up the amendment.

While that vote was expected, the rejection of cloture for a second amendment to authorize the Export-Import Bank came as a surprise. CQ's Emily Holden reports that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urged his colleagues to vote no on the Ex-Im motion, saying that passing it would delay passage of the underlying legislation. Passing the Ex-Im amendment likely would have resulted in a House-Senate conference committee to iron out the final details of the legislation. The defeat gave chamber Democrats further pause about the bill, but it still appears likely to pass.

Cybersecurity Compromise in the Works? We first brought you news yesterday that the two sides in the Senate cybersecurity debate are attempting to hash out a compromise; CQ's Niels Lesniewski and Tim Starks have all the details. Senate Homeland Security Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and his good friend John McCain, R-Ariz., have directed their staffs to find a compromise over competing visions for comprehensive cybersecurity legislation. Lieberman's bill (S 2105) would put the Department of Homeland Security in charge of establishing and implementing new baseline cybersecurity standards for private sector firms deemed most crucial to national security. McCain has expressed consistent objection to placing DHS in charge of cybersecurity; his alternate bill (S 2151) would omit any new regulations and give the intelligence community a greater role in monitoring for cyberthreats.

At a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing Tuesday, National Security Agency director Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander told the leader of the House GOP's cybersecurity task force, Texas Republican Mac Thornberry, that information sharing between the government and private firms is the key element for any cybersecurity legislation. Several House committees have moved forward with information sharing that likewise omits any new regulations. Thornberry said the House plans to move incrementally on cybersecurity, rather than taking the Senate's approach of passing one comprehensive bill.

Cyberattacks Getting Less Costly: CQ's Homeland Security reports that cyberattacks are costing U.S. businesses less money per breach, according to the Ponemon Institute. The independent research firm found the average cost per breach fell from $7.2 million in 2010 to $5.5 million in 2011. The per-record cost of each breach also declined, and customers are less likely to leave after data breaches. Negligent employees and malicious attacks were the leading causes of data breaches, with 39 percent of breaches attributed to the former. Cantor Unveils "Citizen Cosponsor" App: Roll Call's Emma Dumain reports that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., unveiled a new application on Tuesday intended to increase public engagement with the legislative process. The "Citizen Cosponsor" app is downloadable via Facebook and allows citizens to follow bills that interest them and receive automatic updates as they move through the legislative process. The Government Printing Office also announced new features on it mobile app that let users search and view information on members of Congress. House Subpanel Announces IT Supply Chain Hearing: The House Energy and Commerce Oversight Subcommittee announced a hearing for March 27 on the security of the information technology supply chain. Cybersecurity experts have warned for years that one of the greatest threats to the federal government's network security is the dependence on foreign IT equipment. For example, hardware from a Chinese vendor could potentially come pre-loaded with malware that opens a back door in the network, allowing outside penetration. The hearing is the latest in a series on cybersecurity threats to federal government systems On the Move: Michael Smith has joined the litigation and trademark practice groups at law firm Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Bird as counsel, after serving as co-lead of the intellectual property team at lobbying and law firm Steptoe & Johnson. Terry Clark has joined the intellectual property and technology practice at law firm Bass, Berry & Sims. He was previously a partner in the IP law firm Harness Dickey & Pierce.