Trump has nominated a Republican to the FCC: if confirmed, the ratio could become 3:1
U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated Republican Danielle Tuman Severs to fill one of the vacant seats on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). If the Senate confirms her nomination, Republicans will hold a 3-to-1 majority on the commission, according to Ars Technica.
Tuman Sever is a lawyer and senior advisor to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. Currently, the commission consists of two Republicans and one Democrat—Anna Gomez—while two seats remain vacant. Tuman Sever’s appointment requires Senate approval, where Republicans hold a majority.
Typically, U.S. presidents have simultaneously nominated a candidate from their own party and a candidate from the opposition to the FCC. This practice gave the president’s party a one-vote advantage—usually on a 3-to-2 basis. This time, Trump has nominated only a Republican candidate, and, according to the publication, there are no signs that he will nominate a Democrat for the other vacant seat.
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Democrats in the Senate want Tuman Severs’ nomination to be considered alongside a Democratic Party nominee in order to fill all five seats on the commission. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, told Politico that she is insisting on a paired nomination. Senator Ben Ray Luhhan also called for the positions to be filled on a bipartisan basis.
U.S. law requires at least three FCC members for a quorum and prohibits any single party from holding an excessive majority on the commission. Retaining Gomez in her position allows for a composition of three Republicans and one Democrat without violating this rule. Her formal term ended on June 30, but the law allows her to serve until the end of 2027 or until the Senate confirms a replacement.
After the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Trump’s removal of two Democrats from the Federal Trade Commission, there was speculation about the possible removal of Gomez. However, she was not removed. Blair Levin, an analyst at New Street Research and former FCC chief of staff, noted that the commission’s partisan composition could provide grounds for legal challenges to its decisions.
