Biden Announces Nomination of Anna Gomez to Fifth FCC Seat

President Joe Biden has announced that he plans to nominate Anna Gomez to serve as an FCC Commissioner.

Currently, Gomez is a Senior Advisor to the State Department's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. She previously served as the Deputy Administrator for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and held a variety of roles at the FCC over the course of a twelve-year tenure.

Gomez's confirmation will come on the heels of the withdrawn nomination of Gigi Sohn. After a sixteen-month lobbying fight, Sohn's nomination was withdrawn on March 7, 2023. The Commission has been operating with a 2-2 party balance, creating uncertainty in a variety of telecommunications policy issues such as net-neutrality and the Next Gen TV Rollout.

In addition to the nomination of new Commissioner Anna Gomez, President Biden also announced the re-nomination of current commissioners Geoffrey Starks (D) and Brendan Carr (R). If Gomez is confirmed, and Starks and Carr's re-nominations are successful, then the Commissioner seats will be fully staffed. Democrats will hold three of its five seats. Commentators have noted that the shift to a 3-2 majority and the full staffing of the Commissioners is likely to bring a new wave of Commission activity and policy-making.

As always, FHH attorneys are here to help keep you up to date on any Commission policy changes. For the latest on the FCC Commission nominations, remember to check CommLawBlog.