Thune: 'Expectation' Still for Trump to Pick Democratic Nominees to FCC, Other Agencies
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told us Thursday that his “expectation” remains that President Donald Trump will move on minority party nominees to the FCC and other commissions, despite Democrats’ concerns that the administration will choose to leave such seats empty (see 2504010053). Several Senate Commerce Committee Democrats who voted Wednesday to advance Republican FCC nominee Olivia Trusty said they won’t back her final confirmation unless the Trump administration commits to maintaining Democratic FCC seats, including picking a party-affiliated nominee to succeed retiring Commissioner Geoffrey Starks (see 2504300047).
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“Some of those are required” in statute “to be filled by the other party,” Thune told us. He confirmed that he spoke to Senate Commerce ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., about his plans to continue pairing Republican and Democratic nominees for confirmation, which led her to vote for Trusty. That’s “the way we’ve always done” confirmations, Thune said.