Cantwell Expects FCC Nomination 'This Week'
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Tuesday a recent conversation she had with White House officials leads her to believe President Joe Biden may announce a new nominee for the long-vacant fifth FCC seat as soon as “this…
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week.” Other observers’ recently believed a pick might not happen until at least the end of May (see 2305120050). Administration officials didn’t reveal the names of any potential candidates for the role, just “that we would be seeing a name soon,” Cantwell told us. “I just assume soon means momentarily, like this week, not two weeks from now or a month from now.” Former NTIA acting Administrator Anna Gomez remains the prohibitive favorite to get the FCC nod (see 2305020001), lobbyists told us. Some believe questions about how a Gomez nomination would affect U.S. preparations for the upcoming Nov. 20-Dec. 15 World Radiocommunication Conference contributed to the Biden administration’s delay in finalizing her selection for an FCC seat. Cantwell said she would oppose any White House proposal to delay confirming a nominee until November or December to accommodate a candidate completing an existing role, since the FCC has already been tied 2-2 for more than two years due to the Senate’s repeated stall of ex-pick Gigi Sohn’s confirmation. “People are dying for more certainty out of the FCC,” she said: “I don’t think we should wait” even longer.