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posted by martyb on Wednesday April 25 2018, @03:39AM   Printer-friendly
from the tough-act-to-follow dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Democrat Mignon Clyburn is leaving the Federal Communications Commission after nine years of service. As part of the FCC's Democratic majority from 2009 through 2016, Clyburn repeatedly voted for consumer-protection regulations over the objections of Internet service providers. More recently, Clyburn has been on the losing end of many votes as the FCC's new Republican majority deregulates the broadband and telecom industries.

Clyburn's term expired in June 2017, but commission rules allowed her to stay until the end of 2018 if she had chosen to do so. Rather than seek a new five-year term, she announced that today's [April 17] FCC meeting would be her last.

Being an FCC commissioner has been "the most incredible opportunity for me," Clyburn said at the meeting. "In my wildest dreams, if I could have crafted my destiny, I never would have dreamed of this."

Clyburn served as the FCC's interim chair for six months in 2013 before giving way to Democratic Chairman Tom Wheeler, who frequently called Clyburn "the conscience of the commission."

"Mignon Clyburn will go down in history as one of the best FCC commissioners of all time," former FCC official and consumer advocate Gigi Sohn said today. "For nearly nine years, she has been a vocal and passionate advocate for the public interest and defender of the most vulnerable in our society."

[...] Rosenworcel will be the lone Democrat on the commission after Clyburn's departure. There are three Republicans. President Trump and the Senate will be responsible for filling the Democratic seat to restore the 3-2 split.

The president nominates all commissioners. If past practice is followed, he would appoint a Democrat upon the recommendation of the Senate's Democratic leadership. The Senate would then vote to confirm the new commissioner.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has decided to recommend the nomination of FCC official Geoffrey Starks, an assistant chief in the agency's enforcement bureau, Politico reported last month.

By rule, the president's party maintains a one-vote majority on the FCC, so Republicans will keep the majority until Democrats re-take the White House.

Clyburn has not announced her post-commission plans.

-- submitted from IRC


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 25 2018, @04:25PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 25 2018, @04:25PM (#671680)

    3 votes beats 2 votes. The extra person is not harmful.

    The next democrat gets 3 people. It is better that one of the "democrats" is a DINO, always voting with the republicans.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 26 2018, @04:47AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 26 2018, @04:47AM (#672035)

    You're thinking too deeply. The next member will be the guy who once fixed Donald Trump's cable.