Today, the Senate Commerce Committee voted to report Federal Communications Commission nominee Anna Gomez out of committee, as well as nominees Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr, who are seeking reauthorization for their seats. Public Knowledge urges the Senate to swiftly vote to approve all three nominees – enabling the agency to once again champion the needs of consumers, including broadband access for all and net neutrality.
The following can be attributed to Chris Lewis, President and CEO of Public Knowledge:
“Consumers deserve a fully functioning FCC that can ensure people that they have access to the essential communications technology of our time: broadband. That broadband access must be open and free of gatekeepers, secure, reliable, affordable, and available to everyone. The only way to achieve that is to empower the FCC with the authority to protect consumers over broadband providers and to fully staff it with five commissioners. This is an important step by policymakers to show an urgency to match the demands of the public to meet these expectations.
“Congratulations to Anna Gomez for a successful committee vote on her nomination, and also congratulations to Commissioners Starks and Carr. All of these FCC nominees have the demonstrated experience necessary to be effective commissioners. While they may not agree on some of the specifics of telecommunications policy, they each bring their experience to bear on the issues that the FCC is facing. Ms. Gomez’s nomination is a particularly important addition to the FCC after the Congress and administration have allowed the FCC to remain limited in its capacity to meet the consumer protection needs of the broadband age for over two years.
“The FCC has much work to do to promote access to all communications and continued delay only benefits those companies the Commission is charged with overseeing at the expense of the American public. The public has waited more than two years, which is long enough. We urge the full Senate to vote out the three commissioners and the well-qualified Inspector General before they adjourn for their August recess.”
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.