Biden Pushes for Dem Majority at Deadlocked FCC

President Joe Biden moved to lock in his first Democratic majority at the Federal Communications Commission, naming veteran government lawyer Anna Gomez to an open seat and proposing to extend the service of two current commissioners.

Bloomberg reports the appointments poise the FCC, after more than two years of partisan deadlock under a Democratic chairwoman, to act on the party’s priorities, including restoring net neutrality regulations. Such rules bar broadband providers from interfering with web traffic and were gutted by Republicans during the administration of President Donald Trump.

Anna Gomez

All three nominees, announced by the White House on Monday, need Senate confirmation. In addition to Gomez, Biden proposed a second five-year term for Democrat Geoffrey Starks, who otherwise would need to leave the agency at the end of the year. Biden also proposed another term for Republican Brendan Carr, who has been on the commission since 2017.

Gomez’s arrival would bring the agency to its full strength of five commissioners for the first time since January 2021, when Trump’s Republican chairman departed, leaving the 2-to-2 split. An earlier Biden nominee withdrew amid opposition from Senate Republicans.

FCC commissioners serve staggered five-year terms, and no more than three can be members of the president’s party.

Democratic allies have expressed impatience for more action by the FCC on such actions as net neutrality, redressing broadband inequities, and countering media consolidation in favor of diverse and local ownership of outlets.

“I look forward to working with a full complement of FCC Commissioners to advance our mission to connect everyone, everywhere,” Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement after the nominations were announced.

Gomez tweeted thanks to Biden and said she looked forward to working “to bring the benefits of modern communications to all.”

The Senate is “unlikely” to hold a hearing before the fall, so it will be late 2023 at the earliest for the FCC to have a Democratic majority, said Blair Levin, a Washington-based analyst for New Street Research, in a note Monday.

Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican who helped lead opposition to Biden’s earlier FCC nominee, said he would “closely examine whether Ms. Gomez has the necessary experience, judgment, and policy views to serve as a FCC commissioner.”

Gomez has worked at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which is a Commerce Department branch involved in issues including airwaves allocations. Earlier she held various management positions at the FCC.