Two Senators lifted their respective holds on the re-nomination of Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, paving the way for the Senate to confirm him before the holidays. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), said yesterday his objections were satisfied after the agency pledged to prioritize rural broadband funding, reported The Hill.
Manchin objected when FCC Chairman Ajit Pai paused the Mobility Fund Phase II process to investigate whether some carriers submitted false data for the broadband coverage map that determines eligibility, Inside Towersreported. The Mobility Fund Phase II program will provide $4.53 billion over 10 years, in subsidies for providers expanding 4G LTE service to areas that lack coverage.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), too, lifted his hold on Carr’s re-nomination, according to The Hill. Sullivan’s office said in a statement the Senator received “concrete commitments and timelines from Chairman Pai to get the Rural Health Care program back on track in Alaska.”
The holds on Carr were also blocking Democratic FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks from being seated as a commissioner, as lawmakers want to advance the two nominations as a pair. President Trump nominated Starks this June to serve on the Commission to replace former Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, who left the agency in May after nine years, Inside Towers reported. Starks is currently the assistant chief of the Enforcement Bureau.
December 21, 2018
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