Wheeler Slams FCC Republicans for Voting Against Important Changes
In The News Piece in Communications Daily
Aug. 16, 2016
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler struck a political tone in a speech to the Aspen Institute Sunday, warning attendees that “elections do have consequences” and saying many of the initiatives the commission approved on his watch passed by a slim 3-2 majority with Republican commissioners voting no. Wheeler singled out Democratic colleagues Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel for praise. Wheeler spoke at the Institute’s 2016 Communication Policy Conference and his remarks were later posted by the FCC...
“Chairman Wheeler deserves enormous credit for tackling a big backlog of neglected or previously bungled regulatory issues, including net neutrality, reorienting spectrum policy and promoting competition in rapidly consolidating markets,” said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America. “It’s been disappointing to see some of these critical issues become more partisan than they need to be. But to Wheeler’s credit, he’s generally pushed ahead with what he believes to be in the public interest, rather than settling for half a loaf simply to assuage Congressional critics or to get a 5-0 vote at the commission.”