Obama Sends Rosenworcel Renomination to the Senate, as Schumer Requested
President Barack Obama sent the renomination of Jessica Rosenworcel for FCC commissioner to the Senate Wednesday (see 1701040072), as the office of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had requested last month. Her tenure as a Democratic commissioner ended Tuesday following Senate inaction on her term's expiration last Congress. The 115th Congress began Tuesday.
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But Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., told us Tuesday that "the numerical issues with the commission" mean a Rosenworcel nomination could advance only under the administration of Donald Trump following his Jan. 20 inauguration as president (see 1701030039). Thune said it would be challenging for activity to take place until then. "I suspect in the new administration, she may be somebody that gets renominated," he said.
Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., is hopeful of action. "This was the right thing to do,” he said in a statement. “Hopefully, Senate GOP leaders will finally live up to their promise to confirm her.” He and other Democrats have recently pressed for a renomination.
“I applaud President Obama’s reappointment of Jessica Rosenworcel to the FCC, and hope that Congress will act quickly to confirm her nomination,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a statement. Wheeler has committed to stepping down Jan. 20. Wheeler “has made clear to me that he will step down before January 20th if Commissioner Rosenworcel is confirmed,” former Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a Dec. 15 statement.
The White House message specified that this is a renomination “for a term of five years from July 1, 2015,” the date her term initially expired. Thune had backed her renomination and cleared her unanimously from his committee that year. He would have to clear her renomination again this Congress if she were to advance and be reconfirmed. Democrats including Schumer told us that they believe Rosenworcel should be reconfirmed due to a leadership-level deal from the end of the 113th Congress.
Spokespeople for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., didn’t comment. McConnell and Reid had negotiated last month on a deal that would have included a vote for both Rosenworcel and FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, who still requires reconfirmation this year. Pai is widely seen as a possible interim or permanent chairman under Trump. He and Rosenworcel originally were paired when they advanced on the Senate floor.