Nathan Simington may replace Michael O’Rielly. His appointment would leave the FCC at a 2-2 partisan split when Republican Chairman Ajit Pai resigns.
12/4/2020 8:30
After a party-line vote by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Wednesday, Republican Nathan Simington’s Federal Communications Commission nomination is awaiting Senate approval this year
The vote comes after an added development at the FCC this week when Chairman Ajit Pai announced his resignation. The Hill reports it’s “not yet clear” if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will bring Simington’s nomination to the Senate floor with limited days left on the congressional calendar this year.
Simington was nominated in September after President Donald Trump withdrew his nomination for Michael O’Rielly to serve another term as commissioner after a dust up about proposals for the regulation of social media. According to Reuters, Trump “demanded” that the U.S. Department of Commerce petition the FCC to enact new regulations on moderation practices for social media and O’Rielly expressed reservations about whether the FCC has the authority to impose such regulations over social media companies.
Simington has already been through one heated nomination hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee when U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he would hold Simington’s nomination until he committed to recusing himself from any decision regarding Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, regulation of social media content and the FCC’s jurisdiction over that regulation, ACA International previously reported.
If Simington is confirmed to serve on the FCC, there would be a 2-2 split between Republican and Democrat members after Pai resigns.