Senate Commerce Plans June 22 Confirmation Hearing on All 3 FCC Nominees: Cantwell
The Senate Commerce Committee plans a confirmation hearing June 22 on FCC nominee Anna Gomez, along with renominated Commissioners Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks, despite a GOP push to split up the trio, panel Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash, told us Wednesday. The panel is unlikely to formally notice the hearing until Thursday. Supporters of shifting the FCC to a 3-2 Democratic majority are hopeful the move will set the Senate on a course to confirm all three nominees before the chamber begins its August recess. The House Communications Subcommittee is also to hear from FCC commissioners next week, setting its first commission oversight hearing of this Congress for June 21.
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Cantwell told us Tuesday there was substantial “back and forth” throughout the day between Senate Commerce Democratic and Republican aides about having a single hearing on the three FCC nominees or two, with Gomez appearing alone while Carr and Starks would be on another panel. She already favored getting testimony from all three before the end of June (see 2306010075), though a Senate aide noted other hurdles could have derailed that timeline. President Joe Biden announced the three nominees in late May (see 2305220065). The Senate aide noted the White House didn’t submit required paperwork on the nominees until last week (see 2306080056), which delayed the panel’s prehearing vetting process.
Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune, R-S.D., confirmed to us Tuesday that he, Senate Commerce ranking member Ted Cruz of Texas and other Republicans favored a separate hearing on Gomez rather than lumping her in with Carr and Starks. “It makes sense” to examine them separately, Thune said: The incumbent commissioners “have records that we’re already familiar with, while” Senate Commerce members are less familiar with Gomez, a “new” nominee. The committee “would benefit from having a confirmation hearing where she’s on her own to answer our questions,” he said.
Cantwell “is indicating that she wants and expects a full, functioning FCC” and “the time for Republican gamesmanship on nominees is over,” said Public Knowledge Government Affairs Director Greg Guice. Moving on the three nominees simultaneously will help ensure Republicans can’t separate Gomez out and potentially repeat the confirmation stall that preceded former FCC nominee Gigi Sohn’s withdrawal earlier this year (see 2303070082), supporters of a Democratic commission majority told us. She and Starks are both likely to get more attention than Carr simply because the Senate would need to confirm both Democratic nominees to end the FCC’s more than two-year 2-2 partisan tie, lobbyists said.
Carr and Starks are likely to appear with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and fellow Commissioner Nathan Simington at House Communications’ June 21 hearing, lobbyists said. There were indications earlier this week that Rosenworcel might be the only commissioner to testify, but this appeared unlikely Wednesday. The House Commerce Committee hadn’t announced the witness list Wednesday afternoon. The hearing will begin at 10:30 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
House Commerce “has a responsibility to the American people to ensure” the FCC “is being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and faithfully following Congressional intent,” said Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Communications Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio. They noted interest in examining the FCC’s “efforts to carry out” its “mission of boosting Americans’ broadband access and strengthening U.S. communications leadership.” The GOP leaders noted the FCC has disbursed “tens of billions of taxpayer dollars toward closing the digital divide” and its work to revise its broadband coverage data maps. House Commerce Republicans have been eyeing more stringent FCC oversight since regaining the chamber majority in January, including concerns about the commission's management of broadband money it received for the affordable connectivity program during the COVID-19 pandemic (see 2305080067).