On Tuesday December 12, the Senate voted 68 to 31 confirming Jessica Rosenworcel for a third five-year term. The vote came just weeks before her term ended and officially confirmed Rosenworcel as the first female chair of the FCC in the 86-year history of the agency. Although the confirmation of Rosenworcel blocked the GOP from gaining an FCC majority, there is still a 2-2 deadlock among commissioners.
In a tweet after the vote, Rosenworcel stated, “There’s work to do to make sure modern communications reach everyone, everywhere. Now let’s get to it.”
While Rosenworcel gained the support of key Republicans, including Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Gigi Sohn has not been as lucky. In October 2021, President Biden nominated the longtime net neutrality advocate for the open Democratic seat at the FCC, but she may not receive a full Senate vote until after the new year. Until then Rosenworcel will lack a Democratic majority as she begins her term as the first woman to be confirmed as FCC Chair.