WASHINGTON—The Senate Commerce Committee Thursday easily passed several nominations after it decided not to consider its cell-phone privacy bill due to pressing business on the Senate floor.
The Commerce Committee sent to the full Senate for its consideration the nominations of Robert McDowell to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission, Nicole Nason to be administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Robert Cresanti to be Commerce undersecretary for technology. Subsequently, the full Senate approved Cresanti’s nomination.
McDowell is senior vice president and general counsel at CompTel, a trade association representing carriers attempting to compete in the telecommunications industry increasingly dominated by large incumbent players. FCC members serve five-year terms and are selected from both political parties. The commission has not had five members since last year when former chairman Michael Powell left the agency.
Nason is currently assistant Transportation secretary for governmental affairs. If confirmed by the Senate, Nason would succeed Dr. Jeffrey Runge, who left NHTSA in September for a post in the Department of Homeland Security.
