Senator Hickenlooper Warns of the Dangers of an FCC with Only Republican Commissioners

[VIDEO]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) delivered the below opening statement at today’s Commerce Committee hearing on the nomination of Danielle Thumann Severs to be a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In addition to Thumann Severs, three other Trump nominees were also before the committee: Leslie Becera to be the Assistant Secretary of Governmental Affairs for the Department of Transportation (DOT); Joshua Shoemaker to be Chief Financial Officer of NASA; and Robert Steinau to be Inspector General of NASA.

Sen. Hickenlooper:

“Thank you, Mr. Chair. It’s good to be back in the familiar confines of our congressional home. Let me get this… make sure I get this right, Ms. Thumann Severs…Ms. Becera, Mr. Shoemaker, Mr. Steinau. Thank you all for being here. Thank you for being willing to take this on. Congratulations on your nominations.

“But to begin with, I want to address how the FCC, the Federal Communications Commission, brought this nomination before us. For many decades, the Senate has paired Commission nominees, a Republican and a Democrat, moving together. Congress established the FCC as an independent, bipartisan agency because having both parties at the table ensures that major policy decisions truly serve the public interest and are not restrained by a partisan agenda. A bipartisan FCC is essential to avoid things like large-scale media consolidation. I think also, more fundamentally, to protect a free and diverse press that serves everyone.

“That’s why I have deep concerns that today’s nominee is not paired with a Democrat. I strongly believe we should be considering the renomination of Commissioner Anna Gomez, the sole remaining Democrat. She is someone…I have supported, many have supported, and is serving on an expired term. Now, since the FCC requires three Commissioners for a quorum, her presence in the current two-to-one Republican majority is necessary for the FCC to conduct business.

“Thanks to the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Slaughter, if today’s nominee is confirmed, President Trump could then fire Commissioner Gomez and have an FCC with no Democratic voice at all. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that today’s nomination is moving on its own, but I don’t think this strategy will age well in a new Congress or a new administration. We’re seeing the same playbook being used across other independent agencies.

“It’s also vital that any Commissioner can be trusted to exercise independent judgment in all FCC matters. Ms. Thumann Severs, your career has largely been spent serving Brendan Carr, currently as Chairman Carr’s senior counsel. Previously…legal advisor to Commissioner Carr. Your official duties include near daily meetings with Chairman Carr and working to advance his agenda [and] amplify his messaging.

“I’m particularly interested in your views related to the First Amendment and protecting the free press. In September of 2025, Chairman Carr threatened FCC regulatory action against ABC. I think the quote I have here is, ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way,’ to take the comedian Jimmy Kimmel off the air. Unfortunately, Chairman Carr has continued to regularly threaten broadcasters over what many of us would consider First Amendment-protected speech and editorial news decisions. In fact, Chairman Carr even threatened broadcasters about airing so-called ‘fake polls’ ahead of the midterm elections, following President Trump’s attacks on low polling numbers showing or reflecting his declining popularity.

“The need for FCC oversight has never been greater. While I understand that you don’t currently work in the FCC’s Media Bureau, all media issues are going to come before you as an FCC commissioner. So I look forward to you sharing your positions on them with the committee today.

“Mr. Shoemaker, Mr. Steinau. Now, we recently celebrated the unequivocal success of the Artemis II mission and what it means for continued American leadership in space exploration. At the same time, NASA lost roughly 22 percent of its workforce in 2025, and 20 percent of its employees at the Ph.D. level. Current and former employees have raised an alarm that these losses could threaten safety and mission assurance as the agency takes on ambitious new efforts like the Moon Base. So we hope to hear how you believe NASA can reverse course and overcome these obstacles with limited personnel.

“Ms. Becera, you knew I’d get to you eventually. In September, you committed to providing information to committee staff on key priorities, and I appreciate your willingness to do so. I look forward to hearing more from you on your overall commitment to transparency and your responsiveness to Congress. So, with that, I’ll yield back to our Chair.”

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