Senate Commerce 'Ready to Roll' on Advancing Gomez, Other FCC Nominees: Cantwell

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., voiced greater optimism Tuesday night about the prospects the committee will be able to advance a trio of FCC nominees Wednesday, including new pick Anna Gomez and incumbent Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. The pair's confirmation would bring the FCC to a 3-2 Democratic majority more than two years into Jessica Rosenworcel's chairmanship. The Senate Commerce executive session will begin at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell.

"My sense is everybody's ready to roll," Cantwell told us: Some Senate Commerce members "want to do roll-call votes" on some of" the nominees, "so we'll see" how those play out. Communications Subcommittee ranking member John Thune of South Dakota is predicting some fellow panel Republicans will support Gomez and Starks, with some lobbyists tipping between two and five GOP yes votes.

Renominated GOP FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and commission inspector general nominee Fara Damelin are also expected to clear Senate Commerce Wednesday. Cantwell said she's "not ready to relay yet where I am" on Carr, however, given concerns she voiced in followup questions after a June confirmation hearing about his past statements to conservative media outlets and on social media on a range of issues.

Former Senate Commerce ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told us Tuesday night a meeting earlier that day with Gomez and Starks "went fine," but he "didn't commit to" vote for either Democrat during the panel's Wednesday meeting.

The Leadership Council on Civil and Human Rights led a letter with the Communications Workers of America and 10 other groups endorsing Gomez and Starks. “Without confirmation of both of these highly qualified nominees this year, the FCC will be left with only three commissioners,” the groups wrote Cantwell and Cruz Tuesday. “The need for swift action on both these nominations together is therefore critical for advancement of important agency work.” After so long “without a working majority, the FCC has a significant workload to tackle,” the groups said. New America’s Open Technology Institute also endorsed the Democratic nominees, with Senior Director Lilian Coral saying “the important work of the FCC has been slowed or jeopardized by the unprecedented 2+ year partisan delay in fully staffing the FCC, and the time to end the stalemate is now.”