Senate Moves to Restore FCC Quorum with Trusty

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, June 13, 2025 | 5:30pm CT

Olivia Trusty

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) could soon return to full operational status following Senate Majority Leader John Thune's (R-SD) filing of cloture Thursday night on the nomination of Olivia Trusty, a former Trump communications advisor, to fill one of the agency's vacant commissioner seats.

Trusty's confirmation would restore a Republican majority at the FCC under Chairman Brendan Carr, who has been left presiding over a two-person deadlock with Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez since June 6, when Republican Nathan Simington abruptly resigned. That same week, Democratic Commissioner Geoffrey Starks also exited, leaving the five-member agency with just two commissioners -- below the quorum required to conduct official business, including ruling on mergers and regulatory changes.

Thune's cloture filing triggers a limited debate period ahead of a final confirmation vote, which could happen as early as next week. Trusty has been nominated to serve the remainder of former Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's term, expiring June 30, and to begin a full five-year term starting July 1. If confirmed, she would give Carr the GOP edge necessary to move forward on stalled deregulatory initiatives and other pending agenda items.

Carr hinted at upcoming developments in a June 4 message, writing, "There's a lot of time between now and our scheduled June 26 Commission meeting. Stay tuned on that front." The Senate will be out of session Thursday and Friday for the Juneteenth holiday, making Wednesday the most likely window for final action.

Trusty, who has held senior roles in communications policy, is widely viewed as qualified and was previously nominated by President Trump. However, Democrats have indicated they may resist her confirmation unless a Democratic nominee is advanced concurrently, raising the possibility of a broader partisan standoff over the Commission's future balance.

Simington's sudden departure -- reportedly without coordination with Carr -- has added fuel to speculation over internal Republican friction. At the Hispanic Radio Conference this week, telecom attorney Frank Montero remarked, "There's no love lost between the two Republicans that were there... Simington wrote a critical editorial the day after he left, and I think announcing on Wednesday that he's leaving Friday was a little bit of a 'go jump in the lake' move."

Meanwhile, 31-year-old Gavin Wax, Simington's former chief of staff and a rising conservative voice, is reportedly under consideration by President Trump to fill Simington's vacated seat. Wax has strong ties to Trump-aligned media figures and could bring a more combative tone to future FCC debates.

Even if Trusty is confirmed next week, two Commission seats will remain empty, and Trump has yet to name successors for either Simington or Starks. By law, no more than three FCC commissioners may belong to the same political party.