Chairman Pai Plans to Remain Chairman For ‘Foreseeable Future’

Brian Hart, director of the Federal Communications Commission’s office of media relations, said that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai “plans to lead the FCC for the foreseeable future.” Pai — a Republican appointed to the commission by President Barack Obama in 2012, then named chair by President Donald Trump in Jan 2017 — was asked after the FCC’s Oct 23 public meeting whether he planned to remain in that post if the Democrats took over the House in the 2018 midterm elections. Chairman Pai responded he “[couldn’t] speculate about hypothetical future election results that haven’t even come in yet, so, we’re staying the course." Plans can change, of course, but according to Hart, the chairman will remain for that foreseeable future (in which arguably a Democratic-controlled House is certainly visible), in part because there are still a lot of things on his plate. “Chairman Pai remains focused on his key priorities, including bridging the digital divide, fostering American leadership in 5G and empowering telehealth advancements,” Hart said. A House changeover could mean ramped-up oversight from legislators who have been tough on Chairman Pai over network neutrality and media ownership deregulation.