Senate Schedules FCC Nominee Hearing

The Senate Commerce Committee has set June 22 for a hearing on Federal Communications Commission nominees Anna Gomez, Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr.

Also getting a vetting will be FCC inspector general nominee Fara Damelin.

Carr, a Republican, and Starks, a Democrat, are being renominated to new five-year terms, but it’s the first time around for Gomez, whom the White House nominated for the pivotal third Democratic seat after President Joe Biden’s first choice, Gigi Sohn, failed to overcome major pushback from Republicans and industry, reportedly with the aid of a couple of fence-sitting Democrats.

Gomez is currently a senior adviser on communications policy in the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy at the State Department and has a wealth of experience in that policy, including serving as deputy administrator (acting chief) of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which oversees and advises the president on government spectrum policy, from 2009 to 2013.

She was also counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee and a partner at Wiley LLP, which has served as something of a training ground for future FCC commissioners and chairs. Gomez has industry experience in government affairs with Sprint Nextel.