WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, President Joe Biden renominated public-interest advocate Gigi Sohn to serve on the Federal Communications Commission. Biden first nominated Sohn to the position in October 2021, but she faced an intense smear campaign orchestrated by groups funded by the telecom and broadcast industries seeking to deadlock the federal agency that oversees their businesses.
No other nominee in the FCC’s history has had to wait so long for a confirmation vote in the Senate. Sohn’s confirmation has been repeatedly derailed as deep-pocketed communications industry lobbyists have staged underhanded attacks against the nominee. According to reporting by The Washington Post, the industry has bankrolled right-wing and other astroturf groups to place false, anti-Sohn attack ads that have been viewed by tens of millions of people.
Last month, as the 117th Congress ended, Color of Change, Free Press Action and MediaJustice called on Senate leadership to condemn the corrupt, antisemitic and homophobic attacks against Sohn and confirm her to the federal agency as soon as possible.
The failure to confirm Sohn has slowed the agency’s ability to adopt policies to close the digital divide, prevent price-gouging by internet service providers, promote diversity and localism in broadcast ownership and more.
Free Press Action Co-CEO Craig Aaron said:
“The Biden administration just did the best thing it could to ensure media policy actually serves the public: It renominated Gigi Sohn to the FCC. Now the Senate must reject the smear campaign against her and confirm Sohn without delay.
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