CQ's Kerry Young reports that the House Appropriations Committee is set to markup the fiscal 2013 Financial Services spending bill, which could include provisions designed to prevent the FCC from implementing a new rule designed to increase transparency. The FCC put forth a rule in April that would require broadcasters to post information on the purchase of political ads to a public database. Broadcasters, currently required to keep such information in a file at the station, argue that posting the data online would impose an undue burden on their businesses. Proponents argued that expecting people to appear at a station in person is outdated, saying such information should be available online in this day and age.

House Republicans are hoping to block the implementation of the political ad rule, while Democrats will took to protect it. The current spending bill includes a provision that would bar the FCC from using funds to carry out the rule; a previous attempt to repeal that provision via amendment was defeated during the subcommittee markup and a second try is unlikely to succeed today. But any such restriction of the FCC's authority would require Senate approval, which appears to be a long shot at the moment. So we expect the FCC to move forward with the new requirements as planned.

House Telecom Panel Announces Future of Video Hearing: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology announced Tuesday that it will hold a hearing next Wednesday on the future of video content. The hearing comes just weeks after the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on the same topic. Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden noted the landscape has changed dramatically since the passage of the 1992 Cable Act; the rise of the Internet in particular has presented stiff competition for traditional broadcasters and pay-TV providers. The topic is especially timely given the Justice Department's recently reported antitrust probe into whether the cable companies colluded to quash competition from online video providers. Report: U.S. and Israel Created the Flame Virus: Another cyberwar bombshell this morning, courtesy of the Washington Post, which reports that the United States and Israel are jointly responsible for developing the recently discovered Flame computer virus. Like Stuxnet, which was identified as a project of the two nations last month, Flame was designed to slow Iran's nuclear program by collecting intelligence in preparation for a digital attack. The sophistication of the malware had already prompted cybersecurity experts to speculate that the United States and Israel were involved, particularly after recent revelations regarding the United States' classified cyberweapons program, dubbed "Olympic Games." The news is further evidence that the United States is much more deeply involved in cyberoperations than officials have previously acknowledged. Stuxnet and Flame are simply the first of these weapons to be publicly identified, which suggests they are also merely the tip of the iceberg. Reid: Cybersecurity Floor Debate Proceeds After Recess: CQ's Tim Starks reports Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced Tuesday afternoon that he plans to bring cybersecurity legislation to the floor next month, as we noted yesterday. Reid doesn't expect to settle the differences between supporters of the rival bills (S 2105, S 2151) without bringing the legislation to the floor, which will take place at some point in July. Negotiations are underway that would split the difference between the two bills by creating voluntary security standards for critical infrastructure providers. Senate cybersecurity hawks are eager to catch up with the House, which passed several bills including an information sharing measure (HR 3523) with strong industry support. Industry and privacy advocates have both expressed strong reservations about the legislation favored by the White House and Senate leadership, which would authorize the Department of Homeland Security to regulate cybersecurity for critical infrastructure providers. Senators Want Supreme Court to Televise Health Care Ruling: CQ's John Gramlich reports the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee have asked the Supreme Court to televise its upcoming ruling on the 2010 health care law. Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., and ranking Republican Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, wrote to Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday arguing the significance of the case and the widespread public interest merit live television coverage. The pair are longtime advocates of televising the court's proceedings, and earlier this year helped guide a bill (S 1945) through the committee that would direct the Court to allow coverage of open sessions unless a majority of justices object. That bill is awaiting floor consideration in the Senate. C-SPAN has also pushed the Court to allow cameras in, to no avail. Opponents of televising court proceedings have argued it would result in grandstanding. The health care ruling could come as early as Thursday, the next day justices will deliver opinions. House Panel Approves Surveillance Law: CQ's Joanna Anderson reports the House Judiciary Committee approved the renewal of a controversial surveillance law on Tuesday, despite  objections from Democrats concerned about the privacy of American citizens that may be targeted. The bill (HR 5949) would extend a 2008 law that allows the warrantless surveillance of foreign targets, even those communicating with U.S. citizens. The Senate Intelligence Committee approved a similar extension (S 3276), only to have Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., place a hold on the bill over privacy concerns. He and Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., want an estimate ow how many U.S. citizens have been affected by the law, an undertaking the administration has said is impractical. The House Intelligence Committee will likely markup the bill in the near future, according to a committee staff member. WikiLeaks Founder Seeks Asylum: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is currently facing extradition to Sweden over allegations of sexual assault, is seeking political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The move comes days after the UK Supreme Court rejected his appeal to avoid extradition. Assange has characterized the allegations that he attacked two Swedish, female ex-WikiLeaks volunteers in 2010 as part of a broader plot to take down the whistleblower site, which published thousands of classified government documents. The site has ceased publishing items due to a lack of resources, after authorities pressured payment processors into cutting off the organization's sources of revenue.