Senate Invokes Cloture on Roth Nomination
Former Cruz staffer could be running the NTIA as early as next week
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2025 – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration may have a new leader as early as next week.
The Senate voted Thursday 50-34 to invoke cloture on Arielle Roth’s nomination, limiting lawmakers debate on Roth’s nomination to 30 hours, after which a vote on her nomination may be held.
The vote comes at a critical juncture: States were preparing to submit final proposals for the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, a central focus of NTIA oversight. Roth would take over just as it begins reviewing and approving those plans.
The cloture vote was opposed by many Democrats, including Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev. Rosen vowed in June to respond to the Trump administration’s changes to the BEAD program by opposing all Commerce Department nominees that oversee broadband policy. Rosen filed a notice that she was intending to object to Roth’s nomination on June 9. Only one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., supported the nomination.
Before her nomination, Roth served as the telecom policy director for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. The former Cruz staffer was critical of many Biden-era provisions of the BEAD program, including its prior preference for fiber and what she described as its “woke social agenda.” During her confirmation hearing Roth vowed to work with members of both parties to expedite the BEAD program, though was vague on what changes she would make to it.
Roth’s nomination has been in front of the full Senate since the Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance it along largely partisan lines in early April. As of Thursday, the NTIA had been under the leadership of acting administrator Adam Cassady, who stepped into the role in March.
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