Shutdown Likely to Pare Back FCC’s November Meeting

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2025 – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr acknowledged Tuesday the agency’s momentum could slow in the weeks ahead, saying staff shortages would likely force the commission to trim its November meeting agenda.

“We will try to move ahead with the November meeting, but not with quite as many items as we would ideally like,” Carr said. “You’ll see a bit more difficulty going forward, but we will try to keep moving forward the most important items with this limited staff. The plan is to continue holding meetings as long as we can.”

Despite operating with only about 20 percent of its workforce amid the ongoing government shutdown, the FCC forged ahead Tuesday with an ambitious October meeting agenda, voting to approve nine draft items. Democrat Commissioner Anna Gomez sharply criticized the decision to proceed with a packed agenda under the conditions.

“Under the cover of a shutdown – with limited staff, a confused public, and an overloaded agenda – the FCC pushed past the most anti-consumer items it has approved yet,” she said.

Gomez said the situation was made worse by widespread furloughs within her own office. 

“What made the decision to pad the FCC agenda during the government shutdown even more outrageous is that most of my staff is furloughed,” she said. “Not having a full staff was like playing volleyball with one hand tied behind my back – you have to be really good at spiking.”

She added that the process left both her and outside stakeholders “playing at a disadvantage.” 

Many, she said, were confused about whether commissioners were still taking meetings to discuss the draft items ahead of the vote. “That’s why I took to social media to let them know I was, and to remind them of the deadline for the sunshine period,” Gomez said.

The FCC was among federal agencies operating with sharply reduced capacity during the government shutdown, which will enter its fourth week on Wednesday, with no clear end in sight.

The situation has forced about 80 percent of the FCC’s workforce to furlough, and most agency operations funded through congressional appropriations to stall.

The Senate failed to advance a Republican-backed funding bill to end the government shutdown for the 13th time on Tuesday. The final vote was 54 to 45, falling short of the 60 votes needed to move forward.

“We don’t know how long the government shutdown is going to go,” Carr said, warning there would be a number of negative consequences for the agency. 

Carr said he believed FCC employees were temporarily shielded from any reduction-in-force actions while a federal court case in California plays out. 

A judge in the Northern District of California earlier this month issued a temporary restraining order blocking federal agencies from carrying out workforce reduction plans called for by the White House Office of Management and Budget. 

Carr said he believed the stay extends to FCC staff, offering short-term protection as the litigation continues. The FCC’s next meeting is scheduled for November 20, 2025.