The FCC is back to operating at full strength, with the Senate filling in two commissioner spots today that had sat open since January. The spots went to Jessica Rosenworcel and Brendon Carr.
Rosenworcel, a Democrat, already served one term on the commission and was expected to be reconfirmed last year, before getting held up by Republicans in Congress. Carr, a Republican, was confirmed for his first term, though he isn’t new to the commission. Previously, he was the commission’s general counsel and a lead advisor to chairman Ajit Pai.
The two appointments don’t change the balance of the commission — it was and remains in Republicans’ hands — but they will help the commission get more done. Having a three-person majority lets Republicans move partisan proceedings along faster (three votes are required). But, despite the heated debate over net neutrality in recent years, the FCC largely doesn’t deal with controversial issues. There’s a ton of technical and procedural day-to-day issues that come up, and having two additional commissioners and their associated staff will help the commission get to them in a timelier fashion.
The FCC seats five commissioners total, with one acting as the chairman; no more than three can be of the same party, which is why you see the Republican Congress putting through a Democrat. Pai, similarly, was nominated by and approved under Obama. The Senate also approved Pai for an additional term today, which means he can continue to serve as chairman throughout Trump’s presidency.