Ars Technica: Biden tries to end 2 years of deadlock at FCC by renominating Gigi Sohn

President Joe Biden yesterday renominated Gigi Sohn to the long-empty fifth spot on the Federal Communications Commission in hopes that the Senate will finally give Democrats a 3-2 FCC majority.

The FCC has been deadlocked with two Democrats and two Republicans for Biden’s entire presidency so far. He first nominated Sohn, a longtime consumer advocate and former FCC official, on October 26, 2021.

The full Senate never voted on whether to confirm Sohn as an FCC commissioner. Republicans vocally opposed her, and Democratic leaders seemingly weren’t able to line up support from more conservative party members such as Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

Sohn’s chances are better now that Democrats have a 51-49 majority (including three independents who caucus with Democrats). There was previously a 50-50 split, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving Democrats a tiebreaker on party-line votes.

“Industry gatekeepers and big-money opposition have done their part to stall Ms. Sohn’s confirmation because they know a fully functional FCC would hold them accountable for engaging in discriminatory and anticompetitive practices,” former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, now special adviser to advocacy group Common Cause, said yesterday.