WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission needs to be fully functioning, which means five members with none ready to leave, said Thomas Tauke, executive vice president of Verizon Communications Inc.
“We need a fully functioning FCC. It is hard to make bold policy when you have one vacancy and two lame ducks,” said Tauke during a panel at SuperComm in Chicago.
The telecommunications policy world is still waiting for the Bush White House to nominate two Republicans and one Democrat to the FCC. The seat left open by the departure of former FCC Chairman Michael Powell is still vacant. FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy, whose term expired a year ago, has said she wants to leave. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps wants to stay, but his term expires at the end of the month.
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has suggested that Christine Kurth, telecommunications counsel to the committee, be named to the FCC. The Senate through the advice and consent clause of the Constitution must approve all FCC vacancies. By tradition, FCC nominees appear before the Senate Commerce Committee before being voted on by the full Senate.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the House Commerce Committee, has suggested Howard Waltzman, counsel for the House Commerce Committee. While Barton has a close relationship with the White House, the House has no formal role in the nominations process.
Rebecca Klein, a former chairman of the Texas Public Utility Commission and congressional candidate, has also been mentioned as a nominee.
