US President Donald Trump’s pick for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Nathan Simington (pictured) won approval from Congress, despite warnings his confirmation could leave the agency politically deadlocked indefinitely.
Simington takes a seat vacated by Commissioner Michael O’Rielly, whose nomination for a third term was withdrawn by President Donald Trump [1] earlier this year.
In a statement, FCC chairman Ajit Pai said Simington was “well-positioned to hit the ground running”, adding his roots in a rural community meant “this important perspective will continue to be represented on the Commission for years to come”.
Industry group CTIA CEO Meredith Attwell Baker also applauded the move, stating Simington had “shown a keen recognition of the value of competition and private investment in securing US leadership in broadband, a commitment to universal connectivity and a focus on ensuring our communications networks remain secure”.
His appointment means the five-member FCC will be left with a 2-2 political split between Republicans and Democrats after Pai leaves in January [2], which will only be broken once Democrat President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for Pai’s replacement is approved by Congress.
Democrats nearly unanimously opposed Simington’s appointment, with Senator Ron Wyden deriding him in a tweet as “unqualified” and Senator Richard Blumenthal warning in a Facebook post his “confirmation would throw sand in the gears of the FCC” and prevent action on key issues including net neutrality.
[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/trump-targets-fcc-shake-up
[2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/fcc-chief-pai-plans-departure
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