The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a nomination hearing July 19 for three of the five FCC seats.
That would be the renomination of chairman Ajit Pai for a full term--his term expired at the end of June--the nomination of former Democratic commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel to a new five-year term, and the nomination of Brendan Carr, FCC general counsel and former Pai aide, for the open Republican seat.
Democratic commissioner Mignon Clyburn's term was also up at the end of June, has not been renominated, but she could serve until the end of the next Congress or until she, or a replacement, were nominated and confirmed.
“This hearing will continue to advance our committee’s fulfillment of its constitutional charge to consider nominees appointed by the President for federal office,” said Commerce Chairman John Thune. “The FCC has significant responsibilities over one of the most innovative sectors of our economy and I look forward to asking these qualified nominees about challenges to advancing the public interest."
Rosenworcel, who had served on the commission between 2012 and the end of 2016, was forced to exit at the end of last year after Congress failed to bring her renomination to a vote despite unanimous approval by the Senate Commerce Committee and support from both Democratic and Republican legislative leaders after Senate Republican leadership would not schedule a vote.
Before he was named general counsel in the Pai FCC, Carr had served as the chairman's--then commissioner's--wireless, public safety and international legal advisor. Carr had been in the general counsel's office before that.
Like many a commissioner nominee before him, Carr's pre-FCC resume includes a stint as an attorney with Wiley Rein, the "Wiley" in which is former FCC Chairman Richard Wiley.
