Pai says he will step down Jan. 20, 2021.
11/30/2020 12:00
On Monday, Republican Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said he will step down from his post on Inauguration Day for President-elect Joe Biden, Jan. 20, 2021.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve at the Federal Communications Commission, including as chairman of the FCC over the past four years. I am grateful to President Trump for giving me the opportunity to lead the agency in 2017, to President Obama for appointing me as a commissioner in 2012, and to Senate Majority Leader McConnell and the Senate for twice confirming me. To be the first Asian-American to chair the FCC has been a particular privilege,” Pai said in a news release.
Pai’s term expires in June 2021 and Biden can choose a new chair as soon as he is in office, according to CNBC.
The new chair could be one of the existing members of the FCC, including commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks, both Democrats, or someone from outside the agency, according to the article.
The Senate will have to confirm Biden’s appointee to replace Pai.
Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr was confirmed by the Senate to serve a five-year term starting in 2019. In August, Trump revoked his nomination for Republican Michael O’Rielly to serve another term after a dust up about proposals for the regulation of social media, ACA International previously reported.
Trump’s nominee to replace O’Rielly, Nathan Simington, is awaiting confirmation from the Senate Commerce Committee, which will have another hearing on the matter on Wednesday, Dec. 2.
The committee already met on Simington’s nomination in November, and much of the hearing focused on his opinion about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, regulation of social media content and the FCC’s jurisdiction over that regulation, ACA previously reported. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said during the nomination hearing he would hold Simington’s nomination until he committed to recusing himself from any decision regarding Section 230.
Meanwhile, Biden has selected agency review teams for the FCC and Federal Trade Commission.
John Williams, senior counsel and parliamentarian for the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, is the team lead for the FCC. Mignon Clyburn, a former FTC commissioner, Edward “Smitty” Smith, deputy managing partner at DLA Piper, and Paul de Sa, listed as self-employed, were selected as volunteer members of the team.
Heather Hippsley, retired deputy counsel for the FTC, is the team lead for the FTC agency review team. Bill Baer, Brookings Institution, and Laura Moy, Georgetown University, were also selected for the team.