During Trusty’s nomination hearing, Cantwell, other Committee Dems said their support for her was not absolute - Republican leadership & Trump should follow longstanding practice of advancing both Republican & Democratic nominees 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said today she will oppose the nomination of Olivia Trusty to be a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) citing Republicans’ breach of the longstanding practice to advance both Republican and Democratic nominees, and their plan to auction spectrum used for national security and aviation safety.

“I am opposing the pending nomination of Olivia Trusty to serve as a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and will be urging my colleagues to do the same,” wrote Sen. Cantwell in a letter to Majority Leader Thune. “Although I respect the nominee’s professional background, when I spoke in support of Ms. Trusty’s nomination in Committee on April 30, I explained that my support was not absolute. Since then, the Trump Administration has pursued a series of concerning policies, leading me to oppose Ms. Trusty’s nomination.”

For years, both Democratic and Republican majorities have abided by the practice of pairing nominations to serve on the FCC, yet, Cantwell noted, “her nomination is being brought to the floor this week while an open Democratic seat on the Commission remains vacant following former Commissioner Geoffrey Starks’s resignation.”

Given the Administration’s record of illegally firing Democrats serving on independent commissions, Sen. Cantwell said she was especially concerned that President Trump will attempt to fire the remaining Democrat on the FCC and refuse to nominate a Democratic replacement so that he can use the Commission as a purely partisan tool to implement his agenda, including auctioning vast amounts of spectrum.

“The Senate Commerce Committee and its counterpart in the House have released plans for the FCC to auction vast amounts of spectrum currently used for national security, aviation safety, and next generation connectivity,” Sen. Cantwell wrote. “This reckless approach to spectrum management threatens essential systems that protect American lives.”

The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below.

Dear Senator Thune:

I am opposing the pending nomination of Olivia Trusty to serve as a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and will be urging my colleagues to do the same. Although I respect the nominee’s professional background, when I spoke in support of Ms. Trusty’s nomination in Committee on April 30, I explained that my support was not absolute. Since then, the Trump Administration has pursued a series of concerning polices, leading me to oppose Ms. Trusty’s nomination.

As you know, I had hoped Ms. Trusty’s nomination would be paired with a Democratic nominee, consistent with longstanding practice. But her nomination is being brought to the floor this week while an open Democratic seat on the Commission remains vacant following former Commissioner Geoffrey Starks’s resignation. Moreover, given President Trump’s alarming record of seeking to illegally fire Democrats on independent commissions like the FCC, I remain seriously concerned that this Administration will try to illegally terminate Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez, refuse to nominate any Democratic replacements, and then operate the Commission on a strictly partisan basis.

Since Ms. Trusty’s confirmation hearing, troubling developments in the reconciliation process have also reinforced my policy concerns about restoring a Republican majority on the Commission. The Senate Commerce Committee and its counterpart in the House have released plans for the FCC to auction vast amounts of spectrum currently used for national security, aviation safety, and next generation connectivity. This reckless approach to spectrum management threatens essential systems that protect American lives. We have seen this playbook before with disastrous results: During the first Trump Administration, rushed and poorly planned spectrum auctions jeopardized safety in our airspace, undermined strategic defense systems, and diminished weather forecasting capabilities. Now, as Senate Republicans and this Administration prepare to repeat these dangerous mistakes by directing the FCC to auction spectrum bands that support critical technologies, we face the renewed prospect of compromising essential tools that protect Americans every day.

For these reasons, I must oppose Ms. Trusty’s nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same.

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