Senate Moves Crucial Step Closer to Confirming New Leadership to the FCC, FTC and NTIA

WASHINGTON — Free Press Action Co-CEO Craig Aaron issued the following statement following today’s Senate Commerce Committee vote to advance the nominations of Jessica Rosenworcel as chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission and Alvaro Bedoya to be a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission. The committee was split along party lines on Bedoya’s nomination.

“We congratulate Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel for the bipartisan vote advancing her nomination to the full Senate for a final vote. In her many years at the FCC, she has been a champion of an open internet and of bringing affordable broadband to everyone in the United States.

“We also congratulate Alvaro Bedoya, our longtime ally and colleague, for taking the next step toward joining the FTC. His deep knowledge and commitment to public service would strengthen the agency at an incredibly important moment as it considers crucial privacy issues and confronts the power of Big Tech and other large industries.

“Free Press Action calls on the Senate to confirm these distinguished nominees as soon as possible so they can get to work for the public. We also strongly urge the Senate Commerce Committee to quickly approve Gigi Sohn to be the fifth FCC commissioner and Alan Davidson to be director of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

“There are many pressing tasks facing these agencies. We need a fully functional FCC, FTC and NTIA to promote competition and affordability and protect internet-user privacy and access to an open internet. We need to seat these nominees to help implement the newly funded internet-affordability program and make sure the nation’s broadband maps are an accurate guide for new broadband deployment.

“More than 80 organizations representing a diverse range of interests have called for the Senate to swiftly confirm Rosenworcel as chairwoman, Sohn as an FCC commissioner and Davidson as director of the NTIA. Bedoya has broad support from civil-rights and public-interest groups who have worked closely with him on many important issues during his time as a Senate staffer and a law professor.

“Some lawmakers and lobbyists for the broadcast and broadband industries are looking to undermine the work of these essential agencies and have misrepresented the statements and records of some of these nominees. Don’t be fooled: These attacks are from people pursuing partisan aims and industry dollars.

“The Senate must act as quickly as possible and confirm all of these highly qualified leaders so they can get to work right away on the pressing issues before them.”