FCC Now Up To Full Strength

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Anna Gomez, President Biden’s pick for the Federal Communications Commission, ending a lengthy partisan split at the regulatory agency and giving Democrats the power to carry out major agenda items.

The Washington Post reports senators voted 55-43 to confirm Gomez, an FCC veteran who is a communications policy adviser for the State Department. Gomez will take the third Democratic seat on the five-member commission, which oversees broadband and communications regulation.

The move returns the agency to full strength for the first time under Biden, whose initial pick for the FCC role, Gigi Sohn, withdrew after a contentious 16-month confirmation battle. The impasse had left the agency without a Democratic majority for the entirety of Biden’s term until now.

Consumer advocates said the 2½-year delay hampered the FCC’s ability to carry out critical tasks aimed at protecting Americans from potential abuse by the telecom giants, including reinstating the Obama-era net neutrality regulations, which bar internet service providers from blocking or throttling content.

Gomez’s confirmation could also unlock the agency’s ability to carry out more aggressive oversight of the telecommunications sector, which Biden called for in a 2021 executive order, including potentially imposing more stringent utility-style regulation under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued the following statement on U.S. Senate confirmation of Anna Gomez to serve a five-year term as an FCC commissioner: 

“Congratulations to Anna Gomez on her confirmation by the United States Senate.  I look forward to welcoming her to the Commission.  Anna brings with her a wealth of telecommunications experience, a substantial record of public service, and a history of working to ensure the United States stays on the cutting edge of keeping us all connected.  Her international expertise will be a real asset to the agency.  I look forward to working with her to advance the agency’s mission to ensure the benefits of modern communications reach everyone, everywhere and that the United States can continue to lead in the digital age.”

Biden nominated Gomez to fill the seat in June, with the White House touting her “extensive experience in domestic and international communications law and policy” in its announcement.