GOP House Commerce Chair Wants Agencies to Pump the Brakes After Trump Victory

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2024 – The GOP chair of the House Commerce Committee wasted no time asking federal agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission, to pump the brakes after Donald Trump won the presidential election.

In light of those results, “the FCC should immediately stop work on any partisan or controversial item under consideration, consistent with applicable law and regulation,” Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., wrote in a Wednesday letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

Rodgers has been vocally opposed to many Biden FCC actions, including rules on net neutrality rules, digital discrimination, and data breaches. But those flagship rulemakings are already done, having passed along party lines. Telecom companies are now fighting to axe each of the three rules in court.

Outstanding rulemakings that have been partisan disputes at the agency include proposals to ban bulk billing arrangements in apartment buildings, require the disclosure of AI-generated content in broadcast political ads, and block early termination fees for satellite and cable video services, to name a few.

The two Republican commissioners dissented from those items, with Commissioner Brendan Carr, seen as the favorite to head the agency in a Trump administration, continually bashing the bulk billing and political ads proposals.

The bulk billing item has yet to be voted on. The agency moved forward with the other two proposals, but hasn’t yet instituted any rules after taking comments.

Control of the House is still up for grabs, but having nabbed the White House and Senate, Republicans could have a path to nixing any future agency actions they don’t like via the Congressional Review Act, provided they retain the lower chamber.

Republicans used the CRA to kill data privacy rules for ISPs under the first Trump administration.

The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rodgers did not seek reelection in 2024.