Today, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Olivia Trusty as a Commissioner for the Federal Communications Commission. Public Knowledge previously joined a letter with public interest and civil rights organizations addressed to Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urging the Senate to seek written assurances from the Trump administration that the FCC remained fully staffed with five commissioners and that Olivia Trusty is paired with a Democratic nominee. Despite not receiving such assurances, Public Knowledge expects Ms. Trusty to work diligently to ensure affordable broadband access and protect the public interest.
The following can be attributed to Alisa Valentin, Broadband Policy Director at Public Knowledge:
“Today, the Senate confirmed Olivia Trusty, a highly qualified communications policy leader. While we may not agree on many issues, we hope to work with Ms. Trusty on restoring the critical work of the FCC including closing the digital divide, promoting competition, and protecting consumers in our communications ecosystem.
“Unfortunately, the administration has failed to meet our ask of pairing Olivia Trusty with a Democratic nominee which leaves the agency at risk of undermining its bipartisanship. An independent FCC is critical for protecting it from political interference, particularly in the face of an administration that is actively working to silence voices of dissent. When Republicans have been left to their own devices, we have seen that they will censor broadcasters, destroy broadband infrastructure development, and re-design our spectrum policy to benefit only the largest telecommunications providers.
“Now that Olivia Trusty has been confirmed, the administration and Senate must nominate and confirm a Democratic nominee to ensure the agency can effectively meet its mission, rather than sycophantically bend to President Trump’s will.”
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.