WASHINGTON-President Clinton’s nomination of Regina Keeney to sit on the Federal Communications Commission appears dead for this year, maybe for good.
With only a few weeks left before Congress adjourns this election year, no date has been set for a confirmation hearing and all indications are that one won’t be.
The GOP-led Congress’ top priority in the remaining weeks is getting all 13 appropriations bills passed and sent to the president. But even that is unlikely, making the prospect of a omnibus spending bill for fiscal 1997 very real.
Moreover, according to sources, Senate Republicans were upset by not being given enough advance notice from the White House of the appointment.
Keeney, chief of the FCC’s Common Carrier Bureau, formerly was the first head of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Before that Keeney served as senior communications counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee.
She is well regarded on Capitol Hill and in industry, having received strong backing for the FCC seat Rachelle Chong won in 1994. This time, Keeney would fill the seat vacated by former Commissioner Andrew Barrett last spring.
Most likely, the nomination will be left in limbo until after the presidential and congressional elections.
