FCC Republican resigns, leaving agency with just two commissioners

Two commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission are resigning at the end of this week. For at least a little while, the FCC will have just two members: Chairman Brendan Carr, a Republican chosen by Trump to lead the agency, and Anna Gomez, a Democratic commissioner.

Democrat Geoffrey Starks announced in March that he would leave in the near future, and today he said that Friday will be his final day. Starks' departure could have given Carr a 2-1 Republican majority, but it turns out Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington will leave at the same time as Starks.

"I will be concluding my tenure at the Federal Communications Commission at the end of this week," Simington announced today. "It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve the American people as a Commissioner. I am deeply honored to have been entrusted with this responsibility by President Donald J. Trump during his first term."

Bloomberg reported in March that Simington "has also wanted to depart to take on different work," but he didn't announce his resignation until today. While the Carr FCC is going from a 2-2 partisan split to a 1-1 split, Carr isn't likely to have to wait as long for a majority as his predecessor did.

Biden-era Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel had to wait over two years for a Democratic majority. Carr would get a 2-1 Republican majority once nominee Olivia Trusty is confirmed by the Senate. The FCC has five commissioners when it's at full strength.

FCC chairs wield significant power even without a majority. Carr has dramatically changed the FCC's approach to regulating news media, taking a hard stance against broadcast networks accused of bias against President Trump. The Carr FCC also pressured Verizon and T-Mobile into dropping DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies in exchange for merger approvals.

Carr, a longtime proponent of telecom deregulation, has also begun relaxing rules that apply to phone and broadband network operators. But he'll need a Republican majority for more expansive rule-cutting as part of his "Delete, Delete, Delete" initiative. In a blog post today, Carr thanked Starks and Simington for their service and said he plans to continue eliminating various rules that apply to cable TV, Internet, and phone providers.