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The Verge
3 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
There are only two commissioners left at the FCC
After the departure of one Republican and one Democratic commissioner on Friday, the Federal Communications Commission is down to two members, falling below the quorum threshold for what's typically a five-person panel. Commissioners Nathan Simington and Geoffrey Starks stepped down at the end of the week. That leaves Republican Chair Brendan Carr and Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez as the two remaining voting members. President Donald Trump has nominated Republican Senate staffer Olivia Trusty to the commission, but the chamber has yet to vote on her confirmation, which left the agency deadlocked even before these departures. The FCC is in charge of everything from broadband regulations and subsidies funds, to telecommunications mergers enforcement, to spectrum auctions. Without a three-member quorum, some of that work, and the agenda of Trump-aligned Carr, is left in limbo. Starks and Simington both announced the date of their departures earlier this week, though Starks indicated in March that he planned to step down; neither offered specific reasons for their departure. Carr indicated he intends to keep up the pace, writing in a blog post that 'the show must go on.' The FCC isn't the only agency short its typical number of commissioners — earlier this year Trump ordered the firing (in violation of Supreme Court precedent) of the two Democratic commissioners on the Federal Trade Commission. There's a lot that Carr can at least try to do while awaiting a quorum, even without another Republican commissioner to vote on more partisan proposals. Carr has already used so-called delegated authority to let the FCC's various bureaus carry out the agency's work without a vote from the full commission. Verizon's $20 billion deal to buy Frontier was recently approved by the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau, for example, which Gomez criticized as a 'backroom' deal that should have been brought to a full commission vote. Gomez and Carr can also operate as a two-member board of the commissioners under Rule 0.212, allowing them to do most things they normally would besides issue final rules or actions, according to Public Knowledge senior vice president Harold Feld. That could hold up any final action to roll back a host of regulations through Carr's 'Delete, Delete, Delete' initiative, spurred by a Trump executive order, but allow for new notices of proposed rulemakings or other first steps — so long as they can both agree on them. Even if the commission can likely accomplish most of its day-to-day work, Feld warns that operating without a quorum under confusing legal precedents could be risky. 'It puts a cloud over everything,' he says. It could also cause problems if the Supreme Court issues an awaited ruling on the future of the Universal Service Fund, which helps subsidize communications services for rural and low-income households, and requires changes that would need to be approved by a commission vote. Though a Senate vote on Trusty's confirmation could be scheduled in the coming month or two and officially end the limbo, Feld worries about what could happen if it stretches into hurricane season. After past natural disasters, he says, the FCC has broken red tape to get money for telecommunications networks repairs out faster. 'That potentially might be a problem if the FCC doesn't have a quorum,' he says. 'How much are we handicapped in the event of a weather-related crisis? Will we just decide that the bureaus can act on delegated authority? … [Or] is the commission going to be paralyzed to act in the face of a crisis?'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks To Resign This Spring
Geoffrey Starks, one of two Democrats on the Federal Communications Commission, said Tuesday that he will step down this spring. His departure will leave two vacancies on the commission, as the Senate has not yet confirmed Olivia Trusty, a Republican nominated earlier this year by President Donald Trump, to the other spot. More from Deadline FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Targets Comcast As Part Of Broader Effort To Investigate Corporate DEI Policies Donald Trump Says He Will Nominate Olivia Trusty To Serve On FCC Semisonic Says They Did Not "Authorize Or Condone" Use Of "Closing Time" In White House Deportation Video Starks said in a statement, 'Serving the American people as a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission has been the honor of my life. With my extraordinary fellow Commissioners and the incredible career staff at the agency, we have worked hard to connect all Americans, promote innovation, protect consumers, and ensure national security. I have learned so much from my time in this position, particularly when I have heard directly from Americans on the issues that matter to them. I have been inspired by the passion, engagement and commitment I have seen from colleagues, advocates, and industry. Over the next few weeks, I look forward to working with the Chairman and my fellow Commissioners, and all FCC staff, to further the mission of the agency.' He did not give a reason for his exit, but Punchbowl News reported in December that he was looking to leave his post. Starks has served on the commission since 2019. In 2023, President Joe Biden re-nominated him for a new term, which ends in 2027. The commission, currently split 2-2 among Republicans and Democrats, is led by new FCC chairman Brendan Carr. Best of Deadline Epic Universe: The Latest Images Of The New Universal Orlando Theme Park Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us' The 25 Highest-Grossing Animated Films Of All Time At The Box Office
