The Senate Commerce Committee is poised to bring the FCC one step closer to gaining its all-important third Republican vote-maker on the Commission, as President Trump’s nominee to fill the agency’s vacant seat is scheduled to appear at a nomination hearing on the calendar for next week.
In fact, those highly interested in watching the live stream of Olivia Trusty‘s Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation nominations hearing who are wrapping up the NAB Show may have to clandestinely pull up YouTube on their smartphones while at the 2025 Broadcasters Foundation of America Leadership Breakfast on April 9.
That’s because the annual affair, scheduled for 7am Pacific, at the Encore in Las Vegas, begins at exactly the same time as a hearing to be convened by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in Room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.
An Executive Session will be held, followed by the nomination hearing for both Trusty and the president’s nominee to be an administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Jared Isaacman.
On January 16, before President Trump was sworn in for a second non-consecutive term, the Commander-in-Chief revealed on social media that Trusty would be his choice to serve as a FCC Commissioner.
Trusty, who six years ago was named Policy Director over the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, and the Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection by Roger Wicker, “has fought tirelessly to grow the economy, empower innovation and reignite the American Dream.”
Trump added that Trusty will work alongside Chairman-to-be Brendan Carr “to cut regulations at a record pace.”
Prior to January 2019, Trusty handled telecommunications and technology issues for Sen. Wicker. Before that, she worked on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee and served as Legislative Assistant to Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio). Her time on Capitol Hill dates to 2013, when she took that role. Before that, Trusty was a senior consultant focused on public policy, law and security for Verizon. Before that, she was a senior policy representative for Qwest.
Trusty holds an M.A. in American Government from Georgetown and a B.A. in Political Science from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
