Senate confirms Trump’s FCC pick, Olivia Trusty

The Senate confirmed Republican Olivia Trusty to service connected the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) connected Tuesday, installing different nominee by President Donald Trump and ending the little deficiency of quorum astatine the agency. The ballot was 53-45, with Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) being the lone Democrat to ballot successful her favor. 

Trusty volition articulation Republican Chair Brendan Carr and Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez connected the panel, with 2 seats remaining empty. Trump has yet to prime different nominees for the roles. No much than 3 commissioners connected the autarkic bureau are allowed to beryllium from the aforesaid party, though Gomez had expressed uncertainty that Trump whitethorn nominate different Democrat to the agency. Former Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington endorsed his main of staff, Gavin Wax, a MAGA loyalist who once said Trump’s instrumentality to bureau would beryllium a “time for retribution,” aft announcing he’d beryllium stepping down from his post.

Trusty was a longtime staffer for Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), who antecedently served arsenic the apical Republican connected the Commerce Committee, which oversees the FCC and related issues. Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said successful a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Monday, she opposed Trusty’s confirmation mostly owed to interest with the Trump administration’s actions.  “Although I respect the nominee’s nonrecreational background, erstwhile I spoke successful enactment of Ms. Trusty’s information successful Committee connected April 30, I explained that my enactment was not absolute,” Cantwell wrote. “Since then, the Trump Administration has pursued a bid of concerning policies, starring maine to reason Ms. Trusty’s nomination.”

Cantwell said she’s acrophobic that Trusty’s information was not paired with a Democratic one, which would beryllium “consistent with longstanding practice,” she wrote. She pointed to Trump’s attempted firing of 2 Democratic commissioners astatine the Federal Trade Commission, different bureau created to beryllium autarkic from the president and whose commissioners the Supreme Court has said cannot beryllium fired without cause. “I stay earnestly acrophobic that this Administration volition effort to illegally terminate Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez, garbage to nominate immoderate Democratic replacements, and past run the Commission connected a strictly partisan basis,” Cantwell wrote.

Trusty’s confirmation gives Carr a 2-1 Republican bulk to transportation retired his agenda, including slashing bureau regulations and pursuing enactment against media outlets helium views arsenic countering the administration. “I look guardant to welcoming Olivia to the Commission arsenic a workfellow and advancing an docket that volition present large results for the American people,” Carr said successful a statement.

Gomez likewise praised Trusty’s acquisition and welcomed her to the panel. “I person known Olivia for years and person been precise impressed with her beardown inheritance successful communications policy, which volition beryllium a large plus to this agency,” Gomez wrote successful a statement. 

“In mean times, there’d beryllium small crushed to reason the confirmation of a campaigner arsenic qualified arsenic Trusty. But these are not mean times.” Matt Wood, VP of argumentation and wide counsel of nonpartisan radical Free Press Action, said successful a statement. “Trusty’s confirmation gives Carr the bulk helium needs to radically reshape the media assemblage successful Trump’s image, including offering argumentation favors to ample broadcasters successful speech for their unwavering loyalty to the president.”