Sohn Asks White House to Withdraw FCC Nomination
FCC nominee Gigi Sohn confirmed Tuesday she asked the White House to withdraw her from Senate consideration following an often fractious year-plus confirmation process that involved President Joe Biden naming her three times. Sohn's request for Biden to withdraw her nomination came "last night," before Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia became the first Democrat to formally oppose her confirmation.
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"After discussions with my family and careful consideration, I made the decision to ask" Biden to "withdraw my nomination," Sohn said in a statement. "When I accepted his nomination over sixteen months ago, I could not have imagined that legions of cable and media industry lobbyists, their bought-and-paid-for surrogates, and dark money political groups with bottomless pockets would distort my over 30-year history as a consumer advocate into an absurd caricature of blatant lies. The unrelenting, dishonest and cruel attacks on my character and my career as an advocate for the public interest have taken an enormous toll on me and my family."
"The American people are the real losers here. The FCC deadlock, now over two years long, will remain so for a long time," Sohn said. "As someone who has advocated for my entire career for affordable, accessible broadband for every American, it is ironic that the 2-2 FCC will remain sidelined at the most consequential opportunity for broadband in our lifetimes. This means that your broadband will be more expensive for lack of competition, minority and underrepresented voices will be marginalized, and your private information will continue to be used and sold at the whim of your broadband provider."
It's "a sad day for our country and our democracy when dominant industries, with assistance from unlimited dark money, get to choose their regulators," Sohn said. "And with the help of their friends in the Senate, the powerful cable and media companies have done just that." She said she hopes Biden "swiftly nominates an individual who puts the American people first over all other interests. The country deserves nothing less." The White House didn't immediately comment.