Chairman Wicker Eyes Trump's New FCC Pick

Senate Commerce Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) is planning on moving forward with Trump’s recent nomination of Nathan Simington, a Commerce Department staffer that President Donald Trump chose to take over the seat of GOP veteran Mike O’Rielly. Chairman Wicker met with Simington Sept 23 in a meeting that a senior aide called highly detailed. The nominee was scheduled to meet with Senate Commerce’s policy and legal teams on Sept 24, and Chairman Wicker is urging all panel Republicans to meet with Simington. No word yet on a possible confirmation hearing or vote. Many observers question whether Congress will have enough time to process Simington’s nomination before the end of the year. Controversy lurks given the abrupt way President Trump yanked Commissioner O’Rielly’s nomination this summer following his pushback about regulating social media companies. Simingon worked in a supporting role on the Commerce Department’s summer petition seeking an FCC crackdown on online liability protections.