Jessica Rosenworcel is heading toward five more years as a member of the Federal Communications Commission. U.S. president Barack Obama “announced his intent to nominate” her to a full term on the commission. Once he actually does that, the next step will be confirmation by the U.S. senate.
It’s a good move. Rosenworcel has a history of independent thinking, and voting, as an FCC commissioner. She provided the intellectual push back against chairman Tom Wheeler’s original no lobbyist left behind plan for ensuring network neutrality, and tried to include consideration of common carrier Internet regulation and other alternatives from the beginning.
The common carrier rules adopted by the commission in February bear a close resemblance to the points Rosenworcel was making a year earlier, before white house aides and, eventually, president Obama joined the chorus.
Rosenworcel took her seat on the commission in 2012, filling one of the slots allocated to democrats. Previously, she had served as an FCC and senate staffer, and practiced communications law as a private attorney. All four of her colleagues issued the obligatory press releases congratulating her on the appointment, and she released her own, saying she was honored by the nomination and thanking everyone…
During my tenure at the agency it has been a tremendous privilege to work with my colleagues, the talented staff of the Commission, and the American people to develop policies that expand access to modern communications and the opportunities of the digital age. I look forward to the United States Senate considering my nomination and the continuing opportunity to serve.
The first time around, the senate voted unanimously to confirm her. Although her votes and views generally rest comfortably within the norms of her party, she’s not overtly partisan. A second unanimous vote might be too much to hope for, but it seems a safe bet that she’ll get strong support from both sides of the aisle.