Federal Agencies Need to Be Staffed to Advance Broadband and Tech Competition

In the US, we need better internet. We need oversight over Big Tech, ISPs, and other large companies. We need the federal agencies with the powers to advance competition, protect privacy, and empower consumers to be fully staffed and working. New infrastructure legislation aimed at ending the digital divide gives new responsibilities to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and Congress relies on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to reign in Big Tech and others. That means we need those agencies staffed—now, more than ever. And that means that the Senate must confirm President Biden’s nominees. Senate leadership should commit itself to fully staffing each of these agencies before they leave for the holidays in December 2021, so that the work on behalf of the public can begin. Jessica Rosenworcel should be confirmed to another term on the FCC, as its chair. Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] should be nominated to a term on the FCC, as well. At the FTC, the Senate should confirm Alvaro Bedoya. And the NTIA's work should be supported by confirming Biden's nominee Alan Davidson.

[Ernesto Falcon is Senior Legislative Counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.]