The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a vote on the four new nominees for the Federal Trade Commission.
On Feb. 28, the committee will consider the nominations of Joseph Simons (chairman), Rohit Chopra, Noah Joshua Phillips and Christine Wilson.
Related: FTC Could Cast Its Gaze at Big Tech
The committee held a hearing on the nominations Feb. 14.
The FTC has been at the bare minimum two commissioners for most of a year. It can still take action, but it has to be unanimous.
Simons has told the committee that he believes the top three challenges facing the FTC are addressing concerns that it has been too permissive in dealing with mergers, reducing the failure rate of some of its divestiture remedies, and protecting consumers from cyber threats without unduly burdening them or preventing companies from using data to "enhance competition.
Related: FTC Makes Case for Data, Sescurity, Privacy
The commission will be inheriting new broadband oversight responsibilities with the FCC's vote to reclassify ISPs as Title I services, so look for Committee Democrats to press Simons and the other commissioners on that oversight.
