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| Brendan Carr |
Brendan Carr, the current Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is scheduled to testify today, December 17, 2025, before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in a full committee oversight hearing.
This marks the first full Senate oversight hearing of the FCC with all sitting commissioners present since June 2020. Carr will appear alongside Commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty (the commission currently has two vacancies on its five-member panel).The hearing, chaired by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), was announced in response to bipartisan concerns over Carr's actions earlier in 2025.
In particular, it stems from an incident where Carr publicly criticized ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, calling them "truly sick" and urging broadcasters to act—phrasing some interpreted as pressure ("we can do this the easy way or the hard way"). This led to ABC affiliates (such as those owned by Nexstar and Sinclair) preempting the show and ABC suspending Kimmel indefinitely, sparking debates about government interference in media and First Amendment issues.
Even Cruz, who scheduled the hearing, had previously criticized Carr's approach, warning it could set a precedent harmful to conservative media. Democrats, including Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), have pushed for scrutiny of Carr's use of FCC authority on "public interest" standards and news distortion policies.
- Carr's reinstatement of complaints against major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) for alleged bias.
- Media mergers.
- Broadcast ownership rules.
- Deregulation efforts.
Carr, a longtime FCC commissioner since 2017 and designated chairman by President Trump in January 2025, has pursued an aggressive agenda aligned with administration priorities, including investigations into perceived media bias and calls for reforming tech and broadcast regulations (as outlined in his contributions to Project 2025).
The hearing is expected to feature sharp questioning, with reports indicating Commissioner Gomez plans strong criticism of agency directions under Carr. It represents rare direct congressional oversight of the FCC in recent years.