Rosenworcel Jokes at FCBA Chairwoman’s Dinner
Rosenworcel touched on the election, ACP, Brendan Carr, Chevron deference and space.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2024 – The nation’s top federal communications official spoke Tuesday at an event designed to honor her accomplishments and reflect on her past year of public service.
In her last few weeks as Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel took the opportunity to joke about several topics, including the incoming Trump administration and his pick for FCC Chair, Brendan Carr.
“No one has done more than Brendan to earn the job [of FCC Chair],” Rosenworcel joked, citing Carr’s strong relationship with tech leader Elon Musk. “In countless media appearances he has done everything in his power to curry favor with his incoming president – and Donald Trump too.”
Carr has been a Republican FCC Commissioner since 2017.
Rosenworcel was speaking at the 36th annual Federal Communications Bar Association Chairwoman’s Dinner held here at the Marriott Marquis hotel.
In addition to remarks about Carr and the incoming administration, Rosenworcel joked about Chevron deference, space and the now-expired $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program.
"Say goodbye to Chevron deference, say hello to some new doctrine the Federalist Society will just make up,” she said.
Rosenworcel took several jabs at Trump – punctuated by a drink from a flask during her speech – noting his long history of controversy surrounding everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to his 34 felony convictions.
The Chairwoman also touched on the FCC’s newly established space bureau, which she pointed out as an example of the work that she and the FCC had done to make space-based communications a reality for Americans across the nation.
Rosenworcel, a self described “optimist until the end,” noted in the final moments of her remarks that she hopes that the ACP will be revived under the incoming Trump administration.
