Grassley Holds Up Confirmation of FCC Nominees

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee set a Nov. 30 confirmation hearing for two nominees to the Federal Communications Commission.

The panel will consider the nominations of Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, and Ajit Pai, a Republican, to serve at the five-member agency, according to a statement today from the committee.

The nominees, if confirmed by the Senate, would bring the agency to full strength for the first time since a commissioner left in June to join Comcast Corp.’s Washington office.

Senator Charles Grassley said on Nov. 3 he would block the nominees because the agency hadn’t answered questions about whether it gave favorable treatment to Philip Falcone’s proposed LightSquared wireless service. Grassley’s hold wouldn’t commence until the nominees clear the Commerce Committee and reach the Senate floor, and “nothing has changed here,” Jill Gerber, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Republican, said in an e-mail.