Republican FCC Commissioner’s exit leaves the FCC at a 1-1 stalemate
The Federal Communications Commission will unexpectedly lose two members this week instead of one: Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington announced in a press release that he intends to step down from the agency on Friday.
“I will be concluding my tenure at the Federal Communications Commission at the end of this week. It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve the American people as a Commissioner,” Simington wrote. “I am deeply honored to have been entrusted with this responsibility by President Donald J. Trump during his first term.”
He added: “I look forward to continuing to serve the public interest in the years ahead and to contributing to the vital conversations surrounding our communications infrastructure, national security, and technological leadership.”
Simington’s departure will leave the FCC with only two members: Chairman Brendan Carr, a Republican, and Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat and the most recently confirmed member of the agency, who has been on the FCC since mid-2023. That means the agency lacks its minimum quorum of three to conduct regular business.
Simington was confirmed to the FCC in December 2020, after the White House withdrew the renomination of then-Commissioner Michael O’Rielly partway through the nomination process. Simington’s term expired in June 2024, but under FCC rules, he could stay on until either his replacement was confirmed or until the end of the Congressional session on January 3, 2026. Instead, he is leaving at the end of this week.
Commenting on Simington’s departure, Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) President and CEO Patrick Halley said: “On behalf of the wireless infrastructure industry, thank you to Commissioner Simington for his service at the FCC. Throughout his tenure, he has been a strong advocate for connectivity and innovation through the advancement of wireless infrastructure, supporting initiatives that have strengthened the industry and connectivity across the country.”
NCTA-The Rural Broadband Association CEO Shirley Bloomfield commented: “NCTA has always appreciated the willingness of Commissioner Simington and his staff to engage thoughtfully with stakeholders on a variety of important public policy issues, and we particularly appreciate his focus on promoting the security of broadband networks through efforts such as the FCC’s ‘Rip and Replace’ program. NTCA and its members thank Commissioner Simington for his work at the commission, and we wish him the best as he pursues new endeavors.”
Meanwhile, Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, a Democrat, had previously announced his departure from the agency would be happening this spring. He issued a statement today saying that he, too, will leave the agency as of this Friday. Starks is also departing the agency early; he had been reconfirmed to his FCC seat in 2023, for a term that was to end in 2027.
Simington’s exit means that the FCC now has two additional empty seats to be filled by President Trump. President Donald Trump already has one nomination in process, having nominated Olivia Trusty to the FCC shortly after taking office. But Trusty’s nomination has yet to be voted on by the full Senate.
Traditionally, the FCC has two members of each political party, with the chairmanship controlled by the party in the White House. However, given President Trump’s actions in removing all Democrats from other bipartisan, independent watchdogs — like the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board — some Senators who advanced Trusty’s nomination nonetheless expressed concern about maintaining the FCC’s independence as an agency, and maintaining support for both Republican and Democratic nominees.
