Vacancies on FCC an ongoing problem

Partisan divides and procedural delays in the Senate could leave the Federal Communications Commission stranded with only three members and delay the confirmation of its new chairman for months — a threat to the agency’s work on spectrum policy and other high-profile initiatives.

President Barack Obama’s pick to lead the agency, Tom Wheeler, appears to enjoy early, broad support, but his political fate rests in the hands of a still-unnamed Republican nominee for the FCC’s final, open slot. Senate Republicans, by custom, can recommend a candidate to the White House for the job — yet they’ve been mum about it for weeks. A number of names have surfaced as top contenders, but industry sources believe the latest front-runner is Mike O’Rielly, a top telecom staffer for Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). Even once President Obama makes a final decision, however, that person won’t immediately see a Senate hearing. And Republicans maintain that Wheeler, in the meantime, can’t advance without a GOP commissioner in tow. That may deprive the FCC of a permanent leader for an extended period as it prepares to tackle a litany of big-ticket policy items The FCC isn’t barred from conducting business while down to three members, and nothing restricts Mignon Clyburn as acting chairwoman. But there’s certainly fear among some Senate Democrats that a commission without a confirmed leader may experience new delays on a number of its high-profile initiatives.