Senate Democrats back Rosenworcel for FCC chief

Dozens of Senate Democrats are urging President Obama to consider choosing Jessica Rosenworcel to be the next chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission. If selected, current-FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel would be the first woman to lead the FCC.

Commissioner Rosenworcel has been an FCC commissioner since last May. Before that, she served as an adviser to Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), the chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the FCC. She has also served as an aide at the FCC and worked in private practice. But choosing Commissioner Rosenworcel would skip over fellow FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, the more senior Democratic commissioner and daughter of Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), and could be seen as a snub of Commissioner Clyburn and anger her supporters. As a sitting commissioner, Rosenworcel would not need Senate confirmation to ascend to the chairmanship. The Democrats argued that by choosing Commissioner Rosenworcel, the Administration could avoid delaying critical FCC rule-makings.