Updated at 5:15pm Eastern
The U.S. Senate, by a Roll Call voice vote, has approved the nomination of Olivia Trusty to serve as a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission.
The seating of Trusty, which will come in time for the FCC’s June 26 Open Meeting, came despite strong opposition from Democrats to her nomination. Republicans successfully overcame any opposition, voting affirmatively to pair of cloture motions that ended debate and any further delay on action.
At precisely 5:11pm Eastern, a 53-45 vote was confirmed, with President Trump immediately being notified of the Senate’s action.
Getting to this point had seen more drama than originally anticipated.
Until a few days ago, there appeared to be little discord between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill regarding Trusty, making it all but certain that she’d be on the fast track to be seated on the FCC. However, with the sudden resignation of Nathan Simington as a Commissioner coming concurrent to the long-expected departure of colleague Geoffrey Starks, the inability of the FCC to fully conduct business and the prescient need for a quorum at the Commission put Trusty’s pending confirmation by the U.S. Senate in a new light.
By Monday, partisan politics reared its ugly heat as Sen. John Thune (R-S. Dakota), the Senate Majority Leader, moved to invoke cloture on two items — having Trusty serve out the remainder of Jessica Rosenworcel’s term (which ends June 30) and then immediately starting a fresh five-year term starting July 1. Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) asked her fellow party members to vote “no” on the grounds that the White House should also be offering a nominee to fill the open Democrat-aligned Commission seat.
Yet, when all was said and done on Tuesday afternoon, the Senate moved forward with affirmative votes to invoke cloture. But, it wasn’t easy, and approving the nomination of Trusty as the FCC’s newest Commissioner still awaited on Tuesday afternoon as the clock ticks.
The path to confirmation of Trusty to serve as a member of the Commission saw Tuesday’s Floor Session of the U.S. Senate begin at roughly 11:30am Eastern with a vote to invoke cloture on her nomination to serve out the few remaining days of Rosenworcel’s term. As the clock reached 12:30pm Eastern, a tense Roll Call vote had transpired, with the Motion to Invoke Cloture on Trusty’s nomination failing by a 31-32 vote before a shift toward a Republican win was seen. Democratic Senators Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker and Tammy Baldwin, among others, were counted among the “No” votes. Ultimately, a 46-39 Roll Call vote approved the cloture motion.
With the first cloture vote complete, a second cloture vote was put on the calendar for a 2:15pm Eastern roll call. This was to end debate on the nomination of Trusty to fill out Rosenworcel’s term. The second cloture vote resulted in a 53-44 decision, with 55% voting in favor — thus setting up the full floor vote on Trusty. As the nomination came from the White House, a two-thirds majority was not needed to invoke cloture.
Trusty’s confirmation marks a win for the Trump Administration. It also sets up the Carr Commission to move ahead with an aggressive “modernization” effort that includes the consideration of a wholesale deletion of rules the FCC today considers outdated.
Trusty, who has served as an aide to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), saw her nomination advance from the Senate Commerce Committee on April 30 in a 21-7 vote. She is a Mormon Republican from Maryland who exceled in athletics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Emphasizing her commitment and credentials, Wicker noted during her Senate Commerce Committee hearing that Trusty plays chess, not checkers, and “shoots straight.”
Trusty has served as Policy Director of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, and the Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection.
Almost immediately after Senate confirmation of Trusty, congratulatory statements began to be distributed. ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association President/CEO Grant Spellmeyer commented, “With a strong record already as a public servant and more than a decade of experience in telecommunications policy, I have no doubt that she will be an excellent and well-respected Commissioner. ACA Connects and all our Members look forward to working with her and her fellow Commissioners to cut red tape, grow the economy in rural communities, and further encourage America’s small and independent broadband providers to invest in affordable, high-performance broadband networks.”
Also offering a note of congratulations is FCC Chairman Carr.
NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt also congratulated Trusty on her confirmation. “Her extensive policy experience and deep understanding of the issues impacting local broadcasters make her a strong addition to the Commission at a pivotal time for our industry,” he said. “We look forward to working with Commissioner Trusty to advance policies that empower local television and radio stations to better serve their communities.”
