Blumenthal Votes Against the Nomination of Nathan Simington to the FCC

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee, voted against the confirmation of Nathan Simington to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission. Blumenthal pledged to put a hold on the nomination as soon as it is reported to the Senate Floor.

Blumenthal has raised numerous, repeated concerns regarding Mr. Simington’s qualifications for the role to which he has been nominated, concluding today that, “Mr. Simington has failed to provide this Committee with an assurance that he will have the candor and independence that is required.”

Last month, Politico reported that while working in the Trump Administration, Mr. Simington reached out to Fox News in an attempt to enlist allies in President Trump’s attacks on social media platforms. Blumenthal said that the email “shows that Mr. Simington was an active and eager soldier in President Trump’s attempted assault on the First Amendment. Mr. Simington was willing to bully the very agency he’s been nominated to join in order to do the electoral bidding of the Republican party on the taxpayer dime.”

A transcript of Blumenthal’s full remarks, as delivered, is available below.

I really regret that this Committee is rushing to approve the nomination of Nathan Simington to the Federal Communications Commission. What is at stake here is more than just a single nominee or any particular issue. It is, in fact, the independence of the FCC. Mr. Simington has stated his position – indeed has worked on an issue – that will come before the FCC. His independence is very much in dispute, which is why I have asked him to recuse himself on issues relating to Section 230.”

But more broadly, it is the independence of this agency itself that is at stake. I fear the outcome of this nomination will be, in fact, a deadlock of the Commission in the middle of a national crisis. Perhaps the telecommunications and media companies want that kind of deadlock. They may wish for an FCC that is absent and neutralized.

But we face right now a national emergency – both a pandemic and an economic crisis – that requires this independent agency to be more active than ever in protecting consumers and our telecommunications.

The fact is, Mr. Simington has failed to provide this Committee with an assurance that he will have the candor and independence that is required.

I found his answers to questions from to members of both sides – not just Democrats, but both sides – to be inadequate, incomplete, and evasive. He has since had to correct the record in very material ways in his answers he gave to me about his outreach to political groups.

I asked him in Questions for the Record about several matters of bipartisan concern to this Committee – namely, nationalized 5G networks, C-Band, Ligado, Rural Healthcare Fund, weather satellite interference, and interagency fights. He failed to provide any meaningful response to these basic issues, in even writing.

It would seem Mr. Simington was nominated for one purpose: to support the President’s indefensible assault on the First Amendment. It appears to be, in fact, his sole qualification – his reason for replacing Commissioner O’Rielly.

In fact, we have learned that he sought to enlist Fox News to “help to get the FCC on board more quickly and thereby ensure a freer, fairer social media landscape going into the elections this fall.” He then described restraining social media companies as “of concern both to the presidency and also down-ballot.” He failed to disclose this to the Committee. He failed to tell us about it, Mr. Chairman. So, I asked Mr. Simington and again received a non-answer.

The FCC and the NTIA simply cannot be permitted to be an instrument of political bullying and reelection campaigns. It is an assault on the integrity and independence of the FCC. This Committee must take this threat seriously.

I will continue this fight on the Floor. I will continue to do everything I can to hold this nomination, and to oppose it, because I think that Mr. Simington lacks the qualifications and indeoendence that are required of an FCC Commissioner.

As the Chairman well knows, we have in the past moved forward with paired nominations. In fact, Commissioner Rosenworcel’s re-nomination was held for eight months – she had to leave the Commission to ensure that President Trump could appoint and accompanying FCC nominee. We should hold this nomination as well.

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