Lawmakers vow aggressive oversight of FCC chair after Democrats take over

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) – A senior Democrat in the US Senate said on Tuesday that lawmakers plan to call the head of the Federal Communications Commission to ​testify repeatedly next year when his party takes control ‌of Congress.

Senator Ben Ray Lujan, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that oversees the FCC, told a hearing he expected FCC Chair Brendan Carr would be called to appear at least monthly next year, saying Carr “has been evading questions ‌and ​ignoring his responsibilities.”

At a hearing about Danielle ⁠Thumann Severs’ nomination to ⁠become an FCC commissioner, Lujan added he did not think Carr would still be in office by early next year. “I don’t think Chairman Carr is going to be around more than another ​three or four months.”

Asked for comment, a spokesperson for Carr said, “Over the next two years, under Chairman Carr’s leadership, the FCC ⁠will continue to deliver great results ⁠for the American people.”

Last year, the top Democrats in ​the Senate and House called for Carr’s resignation after he pressured ​Walt Disney to discontinue Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show.

Last week, ‌Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who is set to become chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, urged Carr to turn over documents about his agency’s handling of investigations into media companies and approval ⁠last year of the merger that formed Paramount Skydance.

He criticized Carr’s decision to order an early license review of Disney’s eight company-owned ABC stations.

The ⁠license review was ‌ordered in April a day after Trump called ⁠for Kimmel to be fired.

Democrats on Tuesday repeatedly pressed ​Severs, ‌a senior counsel to Carr, about Disney at ​a hearing ⁠on her nomination to fill one of the FCC’s two open seats.

The FCC has two Republicans and one Democrat, Commissioner Anna Gomez, whom Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper said Trump could fire if Severs is confirmed.

Severs vowed to make independent judgments if confirmed.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing ​by Cynthia Osterman)