Biden could face a deadlocked Federal Communications Commission

It’s looking increasingly likely that the incoming Biden administration will face a deadlocked Federal Communications Commission. There are increasing odds that the Biden administration’s FCC initially will have two Democrats and two Republicans — potentially complicating the president-elect's efforts to follow through on some of his key Internet policy promises. The future balance of the agency largely hinges on a Republican push to confirm Trump’s nominee, Nathan Simington, a Commerce Department aide who was very involved with the president’s efforts to crack down on tech companies to address alleged anti-conservative bias on social media. Republicans are racing against the clock to confirm Simington in a lame-duck congressional session in which there are many competing priorities. But expect major resistance from Democrats. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who has been particularly active on tech issues, has threatened to put a hold on Simington’s nomination unless he agrees to recuse himself from decisions related to Trump's executive order targeting Section 230.