Senate confirms Anna Gomez as FCC Commissioner

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Federal Communications Commission nominee Anna Gomez, who will fill a long-vacant fifth-commissioner seat at the agency. The vote finally creates a Democratic FCC majority at the agency — for the first time since the beginning of the Biden administration.

The unprecedented 32-month delay had deadlocked the FCC, and was the result of concerted efforts by the phone, cable and broadcast lobbies to hamstring the agency that oversees their businesses. Gomez's confirmation restores the agency's full complement of commissioners and provides a tie-breaking vote on issues related to diversifying media ownership, promoting broadband affordability and protecting the rights of internet users.

Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, who was renominated by President Biden in May, must be reconfirmed by the end of the year or he will be required to step down. Commissioner Brendan Carr has also been renominated for another term, but he can serve through 2024 without a vote on his next term.

Read the full press release here.

Free Press