Common Cause Applauds White House Re-Nomination of Gigi Sohn and Urges Her Rapid Confirmation By Senate

On Tuesday, the White House re-nominated Gigi Sohn to serve as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. Ms. Sohn was first nominated on October 26, 2021 but the U.S. Senate failed to hold a confirmation vote.

The delay in her confirmation has kept the vacancy open and the FCC deadlocked in a 2-2 split. A deadlocked FCC has been unable to advance key priorities that address the communications needs of all households.

Statement of Michael Copps, Common Cause special adviser and former FCC commissioner

“Gigi Sohn is a public interest champion who has spent her entire career promoting universal broadband, defending an open internet, and combating big media efforts to consolidate at the expense of consumers.

Key reforms cannot be fully achieved without confirming Ms. Sohn to the FCC, deadlocked since the beginning of the Biden administration. Industry gatekeepers and big money opposition have done their part to stall Ms. Sohn’s confirmation because they know a fully functional FCC would hold them accountable for engaging in discriminatory and anticompetitive practices.

Too much is at stake and too many of our households are at risk if the FCC remains deadlocked.

We urge the Senate to quickly confirm Ms. Sohn so the agency can fully advance the public interest and create a communications ecosystem that serves all of us.”