Federal Communications Commission nominee Gigi Sohn plans to tell the Senate Commerce Committee at her third confirmation hearing Tuesday (Feb. 14) that one of the reasons she wants to be a commissioner is directly linked to the reason she says her nomination has been held up for well over a year: An orchestrated effort by industry to prevent the confirmation of a “pro-competition, pro-consumer policymaker who will support policies that will bring more, faster and lower-priced broadband and new voices to your constituents.”
That is according to a copy of her prepared testimony, which was supplied to B+C Multichannel News. “I believe deeply that regulated entities should not choose their regulator,” she said, which has been the intent of 15 months worth of “of false and misleading attacks on my record and my character.”
She says those industry players have hidden behind dark money groups and surrogates to do their dirty work.
Her desire not to let industry pick its regulator is one of four reasons she gave for not bowing out under the pressure. The others were: (2) having fought as a public interest attorney to ensure everyone has access to “robust and affordable” communications, she wanted to continue that push as a public servant; (3) that at least one member of the FCC ought to be a consumer advocate beholden to no interst group but the public; and that (4) she was extremely qualified for the post.
Sohn said Americans deserved a full complement of commissioners on a commission where she could play a critical role (and represent the Democratic majority vote) on issues including “improving the broadband maps, fixing the Universal Service Fund, closing the Homework Gap, ensuring fair access to broadband and protecting consumers’ privacy.” ■
