Cantwell to Vote No on GOP FCC Nominee Trusty's Confirmation
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told us Monday night she will vote against Republican FCC nominee Olivia Trusty’s confirmation on the floor, potentially presaging broader Democratic opposition ahead of likely floor votes this week to advance her confirmation. Cantwell’s new opposition to Trusty is notable, as she was one of six Senate Commerce Democrats who voted to advance the nominee out of committee in late April.
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“I'm opposing [Trusty on the floor] and urging my colleagues to vote no on her,” too, Cantwell said in a brief interview. “I've written a letter to” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., raising concerns about the chamber trying to push Trusty through right now. “I thought we were going to pair” Republican and Democratic nominees to entities like the FCC, but President Donald Trump has thus far not nominated any Democrats to those agencies, Cantwell said. She and several other Senate Commerce Democrats raised that issue when the panel advanced Trusty.
Cantwell said she's also concerned about how the FCC will be “moving forward” on telecom policy issues on Chairman Brendan Carr's agenda once there's a Republican majority. The commission has been evenly split since former Democratic Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel resigned Jan. 20. It now lacks a quorum and is tied 1-1 after Republican Nathan Simington and Democrat Geoffrey Starks resigned earlier this month. Senate GOP leaders faced pressure to make Trusty a higher priority after Simington's abrupt departure.