Congratulations began to pour in from industry, the FCC and
the Hill only moments after the Senate quickly, unanimously and without fanfare
approved Monday the nominations of Ajit Pai and Jessica Rosenworcel to fill the
two vacant commissioner seats at the FCC.
"I want to congratulate Ajit Pai and Jessica Rosenworcel on
their Senate confirmation and welcome them to the Commission," said FCC
Chairman Julius Genachowski. "They bring deep knowledge of our sector, and
proven track records of accomplishment. President Obama made an
outstanding choice in their nominations, and I look forward to working with
them."
The additions do not change the makeup of the commission,
but boost the chairman's Democratic majority from 2-1 to 3-2, and prevents the
theoretical possibility of one commissioner holding up a vote by not showing up
and thus preventing a quorum (at least three members).
"We offer our sincere congratulations to Ajit Pai and
Jessica Rosenworcel on the occasion of their confirmation by the full
Senate," said a veteran of the process, National Cable &
Telecommunications Association President and former FCC Chairman Michael
Powell. "We know that they will each prove to be valuable additions to the
Commission, and we look forward to working with them to promote continued
investment and innovation in the communications marketplace."
"I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Jessica
Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai on their confirmations as commissioners of the Federal
Communications Commission by the United States Senate," said FCC
Commissioner Robert McDowell. "Their experience and credentials will be an
asset to the Commission.
"Now that we have a full five member FCC, I look
forward to all of us rolling up our sleeves and getting to work on several
important matters facing the Commission for the benefit of American consumers,
including but certainly not limited to: implementation of the new incentive
auction legislation, finally putting the power of unlicensed use of the TV 'White
Spaces' into consumers' hands, adopting sensible universal service contribution
reform, modernizing our media ownership rules to reflect the competitive
marketplace of the Digital Age, important transactions requiring
expeditious review, and much, much more."
"I am elated that the Senate has confirmed two qualified and
intelligent FCC Commissioners and that the FCC will resume full operations,"
said Chairman Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), for
whom Rosenworcel has been a top adviser. "Jessica Rosenworcel has spent nearly
fifteen years working on communications issues, and I believe there is no
better-qualified person for this position. Her understanding of complex
communications policy is unparalleled and will be a major asset to the
Commission. She will bring her meticulous and professional mindset that
we have enjoyed here at the Commerce Committee to the FCC as an effective and
sharp Commissioner. I am going to miss her terribly on the Commerce Committee."
"Ajit Pai has experience in both the private and public
sectors and brings a deep understanding of the communications challenges in
rural America to his new role as FCC Commissioner...I look forward to working
with Jessica and Ajit as FCC Commissioners on closing the digital divide that
exists in our country and bringing much-needed, expanded access to all
Americans, including rural Americans who currently are underserved."
"We're pleased that the long delay in the Senate is
over, and that we will have five commissioners at the FCC once more," said
Free Press President Craig Aaron. "Both Ajit Pai and Jessica Rosenworcel
are extremely knowledgeable policy experts and well qualified for their new
positions. We congratulate the new commissioners on their confirmations, and we
look forward to working with both of them in the very near future.
"We hope the FCC's newest members will focus first and
foremost on promoting the public interest. The decisions the FCC makes in the
next few years will determine the shape of our media system for a generation.
Thanks to undue industry influence at places like the FCC, many people have
lost faith in public institutions. The public needs champions at the FCC. We
hope the newest commissioners will use both the bully pulpit and their votes to
ensure that media and technology benefit the vast majority of Americans and not
just a few powerful moguls."
"On behalf of CTIA and the wireless industry, I congratulate
the newest FCC Commissioners, Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai," said
CTIA: The Wireless Association President Steve Largent. "Their knowledge
of communications issues and their experience in Washington will make them
great assets for the Commission. I look forward to working with them on key
wireless issues, including the bipartisan and bicameral spectrum issues, to
ensure the U.S. wireless ecosystem retains its global leadership position.""We applaud the Senate on the approvals of Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai to serve as FCC Commissioners," said Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro. "Ms. Rosenworcel and Mr. Pai each have a deep understanding of technology policy and will be excellent FCC commissioners. We look forward to working with both of these distinguished individuals to restore our nation's economy by advancing sound communications policies that promote technological innovation."
