A coalition of Hispanic groups is renewing calls for President Biden to “name a person of Latino descent” to the FCC, according to a letter shared with The Washington Post. The campaign comes as the White House forged ahead with the long-stalled nomination of Gigi Sohn, Inside Towers reported.
Over a dozen civil rights and advocacy groups wrote in a letter to Biden that the FCC has lacked a Latino commissioner for over two decades and said appointing one would make it “more likely” the agency would “champion equitable language access” and push for more inclusive internet access policies. “Put simply, a Latino FCC Commissioner would help ensure that Latinos can fully participate in and contribute to America’s future,” wrote the groups, which included Esperanza United, Leonas, the National Hispanic Media Coalition and the League of United Latin American Citizens.
The letter didn’t mention Sohn by name, but it arrived as her proponents are rallying to get her nomination over the finish line after being stuck in the Senate for over a year. Biden first tapped the former Democratic FCC staffer and longtime consumer advocate, in October 2021, but the pick has been bogged down amid GOP opposition.
Republicans don’t believe she can be impartial as an FCC Commissioner because of her past lobbying, Inside Towers reported. The delay has hamstrung the agency’s ability to carry out key Democratic agenda items.
Amy Hinojosa, CEO of MANA, a national Latina organization, said some Hispanic advocacy groups feel their concerns have not been “heard” by the White House and plan to urge Biden to pull Sohn. Since Biden became president, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have also repeatedly pressed Biden to step up Latino and Hispanic representation across the executive branch. “I’m not just hoping — we’re going to push until we see the nomination withdrawn,” Hinojosa told the Washington Post..
The White House renominated Sohn to the FCC on January 3, a day after the coalition sent their letter, a signal Biden is unlikely to heed calls to withdraw the nomination anytime soon, notes The Post.
White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton said that Sohn “has strong support from an extensive coalition of communities of color, including Latino leaders and organizations” and that administration officials take “representation seriously and are proud to have built an administration that looks like America.” Sohn declined to comment.
While Sohn is facing opposition from some Hispanic advocacy groups, others have embraced her nomination, including UnidosUS and the Hispanic Federation. Gloria Tristani was the last Hispanic commissioner to serve on the FCC (from November 1997 – September 2001.) She also endorsed Sohn’s nomination, writing in an Op-Ed for The Hill last January that she “will be an ally to those focused on equity, justice and economic fairness.”
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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