FCC Chairman Pai: President Trump Doesn't Undermine FCC's Independence

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai maintains that the Trump administration hasn’t sought to exert its will over the decision-making of the commission, an independent agency not subject to executive command. “Not the case,” Chairman Pai told the House Appropriators Committee during a hearing. That’s apparently despite President Donald Trump occasionally reaching out to the agency chief, as he did in 2019 on a coming C-band airwaves auction. The Senate Commerce Committee, meanwhile, heard from Chase Johnson, the administration’s nominee for FCC inspector general, during another hearing. Johnson told lawmakers he expects that the hardest part of the job will be “prioritization [of] investigations” and to “intelligently pick where you use your resources.” Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) warned “it could potentially get tense with Chairman Pai,” and Johnson said the key will be doing “work that is unimpeachable.” Johnson will require a Senate vote before assuming the IG post.