Senators Press FCC Chair for First Time Since Kimmel Controversy

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2025 – A Senate oversight hearing of the Federal Communications Commission veered into unexpected territory Wednesday when FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Republican Commissioner Olivia Trusty denied the agency’s status as an independent regulatory body.

Their remarks, which contradict nearly a century of precedent, came as senators accused Carr of abusing his position to intimidate broadcasters and chill speech in his first year as chairman. 

“The FCC is not an independent agency because –,” Carr said, before being cut off by Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., for repeatedly speaking over senators. Minutes after the Senate Commerce Committee concluded, the word “independent” had been stripped from the FCC’s website.