Sen Rockefeller Gives Nod To Republican FCC Nominee

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Rockefeller (D-WV) won't stand in the way of Robert McDowell, a Republican nominee for Federal Communications Commission, even though he expressed concerns about Commissioner McDowell last week. Commissioner McDowell sent Chairman Rockefeller a letter promising strong support for a phone subsidy fund that wires up schools and libraries, called the E-Rate. Chairman Rockefeller has long ties to the E-Rate, having been one of the principal sponsors of the program. Chairman Rockefeller still has concerns that McDowell may be too closely tied to the phone and Internet companies to act on behalf of consumers.