Free Speech

FCC Chairman Faces Scrutiny Ahead of Wednesday Senate Oversight Hearing

Groups call on senators to probe Brendan Carr’s use of public interest and news distortion policies

Jericho Casper

Dec 15, 2025 — 3 min read

Photo of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr by Rod Lamkey/Zumapress/Newscom.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2025 – Ahead of a Senate oversight hearing of the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday, senators are being urged to scrutinize FCC policies that Chairman Brendan Carr has used to influence news coverage.

In a release Monday, Protect Democracy, a nonprofit dedicated to defeating authoritarian threats, urged senators to press Carr on whether he will commit to bringing a pending petition to repeal the FCC’s news distortion policy to a vote.

“In November, a bipartisan coalition of seven former FCC chairs and commissioners filed a formal petition calling on the FCC to rescind its news distortion policy,” the release states. “The Senate oversight committee should demand that Carr uphold this commitment and bring the petition to a vote.”

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Free Speech Brendan Carr Protect Democracy FSF Communications Act Senate Commerce Committee Randolph May

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