Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is seeking to expand the Republican majority on the Federal Communications Commission before Democrats take control of the Senate in January 2027. Cruz has scheduled a November 10 nomination hearing for President Donald Trump’s FCC pick, Danielle Thumann Severs, and appears likely to pursue a full Senate vote before his term as Senate Commerce Committee chairman ends in January.
If confirmed, Thumann Severs would give Republicans a 3-1 advantage on the FCC. The commission’s Democratic member, Anna Gomez, would have to leave at the end of 2027 unless Trump nominates her again. Trump has not renominated Gomez or selected a Democrat for the commission’s other vacant seat.
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has warned that federal law does not permit an all-Republican FCC. In a September 24 letter to Gomez, he argued that actions taken by a commission without bipartisan representation could face legal challenges, citing the Communications Act’s three-member quorum requirement. Wyden also raised the possibility that Trump could seek to fire Gomez after Thumann Severs is confirmed, leaving a 3-0 Republican panel.
Wyden said such a panel could put FCC decisions, including license renewals and equipment certifications, under legal uncertainty. By tradition, presidents nominate commissioners from the opposing party based on recommendations from that party’s Senate leaders, a process intended to maintain the commission’s bipartisan makeup. Trump has not followed that practice during his second term.
Sources: Ars Technica.