No 'Breakthrough' in Push to Confirm Starks to FCC, Carr's Second Term, Thune Says
“Negotiations are ongoing” for a confirmations package on “a slightly larger” number of President Donald Trump's nominees, including FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks and Commissioner Brendan Carr's full five-year term ending in 2023, but “there's not a breakthrough yet” that would…
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allow for them to be approved this week, said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., in an interview. Thune has been hopeful that Senate leaders would agree to confirm Carr and Starks under unanimous consent before the one-week August recess, but progress on a nominations package has been elusive (see 1807100001 and 1807240056). Senate leaders at the last minute scotched a bid to clear the FCC nominees before July 4 (see 1806290037). Thune pointed to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as holding up negotiations on the confirmations package, hoping Schumer will agree to a compromise given the leader's strong backing for Trump to nominate Starks (see 1803090040). “It would be nice to have a full complement of commissioners” for Senate Commerce's planned Aug. 15 FCC oversight hearing (see 1807300053), Thune said. Schumer's office didn't comment.