Chairman Pai cancels trip to Consumer Electronics Show amid government shutdown

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Brendan Carr are canceling their appearances at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show as a consequence of the ongoing partial government shutdown. Chairman Pai’s planned session with moderator Gary Shapiro, from the Consumer Technology Association, would have focused on “the exciting opportunities the FCC faces as the agency navigates the rapidly changing technological landscape.” Commissioner Carr was expected to attend a roundtable session with Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter to discuss regulatory and policy issues involving 5G, privacy and accessibly, along with other topics. Both events have been removed from the CES schedule. This will be the second year in a row that Chairman Pai has canceled his plans to attend the biggest consumer electronics showcase in the country.