FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler showed possible willingness to step down at the end of the Obama administration, speaking Thursday during a Senate Commerce Committee oversight hearing. Some observers wondered if this may break loose a long-time logjam in the Senate. The chamber's Republicans for months sought a Wheeler commitment to step down, blocking the reconfirmation of Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and spurring Democratic counter blocks on the floor of bipartisan telecom legislation coming out of the Commerce Committee.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., expects all the prime FCC proceedings to face scrutiny Thursday during an oversight hearing featuring FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and the four other commissioners. This is the first Senate Commerce oversight hearing since March and the first since Thune took to the Senate floor in July to disparage the style and substance of Wheeler’s time leading the agency (see 1607070049).
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., expects all the prime FCC proceedings to face scrutiny Thursday during an oversight hearing featuring FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and the four other commissioners. This is the first Senate Commerce oversight hearing since March and the first since Thune took to the Senate floor in July to disparage the style and substance of Wheeler’s time leading the agency (see 1607070049).
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said Monday he won't commit to stepping down at the start of the next administration, despite the agency’s win last week on net neutrality rules. He was asked at a National Press Club luncheon specifically about whether he had changed his mind on the topic in light of the court’s ruling (see 1606140023) upholding the 2015 rules. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel should be confirmed “standing on her own” for another term, Wheeler said. “I understand that it is traditional for the incoming president to have an opportunity to name the new FCC chairman. … As a fellow who studies history, I understand the precedent and I respect the precedent.” Wheeler also said emphatically the net neutrality rules won't lead to traditional rate regulation for broadband providers. "That's not changing." he said.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said Monday he won't commit to stepping down at the start of the next administration, despite the agency’s win last week on net neutrality rules. He was asked at a National Press Club luncheon specifically about whether he had changed his mind on the topic in light of the court’s ruling (see 1606140023) upholding the 2015 rules. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel should be confirmed “standing on her own” for another term, Wheeler said. “I understand that it is traditional for the incoming president to have an opportunity to name the new FCC chairman. … As a fellow who studies history, I understand the precedent and I respect the precedent.” Wheeler also said emphatically the net neutrality rules won't lead to traditional rate regulation for broadband providers. "That's not changing." he said.
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., holds out hope that Congress can still advance the Senate’s Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555) into law despite Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., throwing up hurdles to the bill’s floor passage in the upper chamber, Walden told us Wednesday. The legislation cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in March but now faces Democratic holds on the Senate floor (see 1606070063) and lacks a House companion bill.
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., holds out hope that Congress can still advance the Senate’s Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555) into law despite Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., throwing up hurdles to the bill’s floor passage in the upper chamber, Walden told us Wednesday. The legislation cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in March but now faces Democratic holds on the Senate floor (see 1606070063) and lacks a House companion bill.
Senate Democrats will prevent any easy floor passage of the FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) and the Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555) until the Senate votes on the renomination of FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, as expected (see 1605060062), a senior Democrat confirmed this week. Commerce Committee Republican staff plan to file for hotline unanimous consent consideration of both measures on the Senate floor this month, and a Commerce Committee aide confirmed Tuesday that Mobile Now will undergo a hotline attempt this week. Both hotline efforts would fail under the current Democratic strategy.
Senate Democrats will prevent any easy floor passage of the FCC Reauthorization Act (S-2644) and the Mobile Now spectrum bill (S-2555) until the Senate votes on the renomination of FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, as expected (see 1605060062), a senior Democrat confirmed this week. Commerce Committee Republican staff plan to file for hotline unanimous consent consideration of both measures on the Senate floor this month, and a Commerce Committee aide confirmed Tuesday that Mobile Now will undergo a hotline attempt this week. Both hotline efforts would fail under the current Democratic strategy.
The Senate reconfirmation fight over FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel may bleed over into stalling some big-ticket telecom legislation on the Senate floor, said officials from industry and on Capitol Hill. Some have heard that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., signaled an interest in obstructing telecom legislation until Rosenworcel gets a confirmation vote, which could have major implications for measures recently cleared from the Commerce Committee. That potential scenario was viewed as an unsurprising extension of Reid’s recent outrage.