- Senate approval comes after the FCC came down to just two commissioners after the departure of Nathan Simington and Geoffrey Starks
- Telecom industry leaders gave high praise to Trusty for her hard work and extensive public sector experience
- The next open FCC meeting is June 26
Olivia Trusty, President Trump’s nominee for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), received Senate approval Tuesday, giving FCC Chairman Brendan Carr the quorum and Republican majority he needs to move forward with his agenda.
Many telecom industry trade associations applauded the Senate confirmation and extended congratulations to Trusty, whose career includes stints on the Hill and private sector, including serving at both the Commerce Committee and the Armed Services Committee in the U.S. Senate.
Her confirmation couldn’t come soon enough for the chairman. Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington abruptly announced his departure from the commission about two weeks ago; his last day was June 6. The same day, Democrat Geoffrey Starks left the commission; he announced his intention to leave earlier this year.
Republican lawmakers signaled their intent to get the confirmation process moving last week, when Senate Majority Leader John Thune, (R-S.D.), made a procedural move to set up a floor vote on Trusty’s confirmation this week. That ended up happening Tuesday, with the Senate voting 53-45, mostly along party lines.
Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said she opposed the nomination of Trusty, citing Republicans’ breach of the longstanding practice to advance both Republican and Democratic nominees.
For years, both Democratic and Republican majorities abided by the practice of pairing nominations to serve on the FCC, but Trusty’s nomination was brought to the floor while an open Democratic seat remains vacant.