Sohn Nomination 'Endangering Vulnerable' Senate Dems: WSJ
President Joe Biden “may be endangering vulnerable Senate Democrats by continuing to push” for the chamber to confirm FCC nominee Gigi Sohn, the Wall Street Journal editorial board said Monday. Sohn’s confirmation process has stalled while three Senate Democrats --…
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Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Mark Kelly of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia -- remain undecided whether to back the nominee (see 2205050050). The WSJ editorial board, which has repeatedly opposed Sohn, said “her seeming animus to cops” is a primary motivator for the Democrats who are “reluctant to back her” given the Fraternal Order of Police’s criticisms of the nominee (see 2201040071). FOP cited Sohn’s role as a board member for the Electronic Frontier Foundation due to that group’s backing of end-to-end encryption and “user-only access,” plus social media posts seen as critical of the police. “Business groups haven’t come out as strongly against Ms. Sohn as they have some other nominees,” WSJ said. “Perhaps broadcasters and broadband providers are resigned to more aggressive regulation once a third Democrat joins the FCC.” Still, “the White House is putting the three wavering Democratic Senators in a political bind,” the editorial board said. Biden “would do his own party a favor by withdrawing Ms. Sohn’s nomination. But if he doesn’t, Senators can do the country a favor by defeating her.”