Public Knowledge Urges President, Senate To Preserve FCC’s Bipartisanship in New NominationsPublic Knowledge Urges President, Senate To Preserve FCC’s Bipartisanship in New Nominations

Federal Communications Commissioner Simington’s sudden departure effectively leaves the agency without a bipartisan quorum, which stalls its ability to move forward with any meaningful actions—a move that will likely result in painful consequences throughout the communications ecosystem for consumers. From helping students access online educational tools to ensuring workers can apply for new opportunities or patients can reach their telehealth providers, the FCC is responsible for connecting our communities to affordable, reliable high-speed internet. A non-functional agency will harm access to reliable communications networks during emergencies, availability of spectrum for wireless innovators, and connectivity for those on the wrong side of the digital divide. We urge the president and the Senate to quickly nominate and confirm both a qualified Democratic and Republican commissioner to preserve the agency’s critical role. We support a fully staffed, independent, and bipartisan Commission to ensure it can efficiently fulfill its mission of providing equitable communications access to all.