(WEEKLY STANDARD) Tom Wheeler, the Democratic chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has announced he will resign at the beginning of Donald Trump’s presidential term, per Bloomberg. With Wheeler gone, Republicans will have a 2-1 majority on the FCC.
It’s customary for FCC chairman to resign when a new president takes office, but Wheeler had been playing coy about whether he would actually step down. This angered Republicans in Congress, who cited Wheeler’s reticence when refusing to confirm another Democratic FCC member, Jessica Rosenworcel, for another term. Indeed, it’s been reported that Wheeler is resigning to attempt to make a deal with the GOP Senate to reconfirm Rosenworcel. However, the Senate has gone on recess without renominating Rosenworcel. Her term expires at the end of this month, leaving the GOP with a 2-1 majority on the FCC.
