Democratic opposition to Olivia Trusty’s nomination to the Federal Communications Commission is growing amid concerns about a potential Republican takeover of the agency. Trusty, nominated by President Donald Trump, is facing increased scrutiny from Democrats who fear her confirmation could lead to a GOP-controlled FCC and possibly the ousting of the Commission’s last remaining Democrat, Anna Gomez.
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, withdrew her prior support for Trusty this week, urging her colleagues to vote against confirmation unless a Democratic nominee is advanced at the same time. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Cantwell criticized the decision to proceed with Trusty’s nomination while the seat vacated by Democratic Commissioner Geoffrey Starks on June 6 remains unfilled.
“Given President Trump’s alarming record of seeking to illegally fire Democrats on independent commissions like the FCC, I remain seriously concerned that this Administration will try to illegally terminate Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez,” Cantwell wrote. She warned that the administration might then refuse to nominate any Democratic replacements, allowing Republicans to run the FCC on a partisan basis.
The sudden resignation of Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington the same week as Starks has heightened urgency among Republicans to confirm Trusty and reestablish a working quorum. Without it, Chairman Brendan Carr is unable to conduct official Commission business. Thune has filed two cloture motions to advance Trusty—one to complete the remainder of former Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s term ending June 30, and another for a full five-year term.
Votes could come as soon as today, ahead of Congress’s Juneteenth recess. Traditionally, FCC nominees are confirmed in bipartisan pairs to preserve ideological balance. Cantwell argues that pushing Trusty through alone violates that custom and signals a broader partisan maneuver.
Gomez herself has expressed unease. At a First Amendment Tour event in Los Angeles, she questioned her future at the Commission, referencing other recent firings of Democratic appointees. “If I get fired, it isn’t because I didn’t do my job – it’s because I insisted on doing it,” she said. Gomez also warned that federal agencies, including the FCC, are being used to pressure journalists and silence dissent.
Even if all Senate Democrats oppose the nomination, Republicans’ 53-seat majority makes Trusty’s confirmation likely, as only a simple majority is needed to invoke cloture on presidential appointments.