Donald Trump’s FCC Pick Clears Senate Committee In Party-Line Vote

Ted Johnson
·2 min read

President Donald Trump’s nomination of Nathan Simington to fill a slot on the FCC cleared the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.

If Simington is approved by the full Senate, Republicans and Democrats each would have two seats on the FCC, setting up a deadlock in the early days of Joe Biden’s administration. Democrats will have a majority once whoever Biden nominates to fill the fifth seat is confirmed, a process that has in past years taken months.

The committee voted 14-12 along party lines to confirm Simington. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the top Democrat on the committee, objected to his nomination, in part because “real questions have been raised about Mr. Simington’s candor with the committee during this confirmation process.” She cited emails which she said misrepresented his involvement in efforts to “do the president’s bidding on Section 230.”

Politico reported that Simington, as an adviser at the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, sought out Fox News and its personality Laura Ingraham to engage in the fight against Section 230, the law that shields tech platforms from liability for how they moderate third-party content. Simington insisted that he had a “minimal role” in the Trump administration’s petition to the FCC to revise the law in a way that would open up platforms like Facebook and Twitter to litigation over how they handle to content that users place on their sites.

On Wednesday, Trump threatened to veto the latest defense spending bill unless it included a repeal of Section 230.

Trump has been railing against tech platforms for years for alleged bias against conservatives, but he issued an executive order targeting Section 230 earlier this year, after Twitter started placing fact-checking labels on some of his tweets.

Simington is seeking a spot on the FCC that originally was to be filled by Michael O’Rielly, a Republican who has been on the commission since 2013. The Senate Commerce Committee approved O’Rielly for another term in July, but the White House withdrew the nomination after he spoke skeptically about the prospect of the FCC revising Section 230.

More from Deadline

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Millennials Want a 4-Day Workweek, Poll Indicates

    Redfield and Wilton Strategies recently conducted a poll for 'Newsweek' to find out how Americans feel about the idea of moving toward a four-day workweek. 4,000 U.S. voters were surveyed between April 6 and 7. 63% were in favor of a four-day workweek. 46% think the model makes employees more productive.

  • Trump trial live updates: What to expect today

    The former president's hush money trial is set to resume Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court, where ex-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker — the first witness to testify in the historic case — will return to stand.

  • Proximus SA's Dividend Analysis

    Proximus SA (BGAOY) recently announced a dividend of $0.15 per share, payable on 2024-05-13, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into Proximus SA's dividend performance and assess its sustainability.

  • Stolt-Nielsen Ltd's Dividend Analysis

    Stolt-Nielsen Ltd (SOIEF) recently announced a dividend of $1.5 per share, payable on 2024-05-08, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into Stolt-Nielsen Ltd's dividend performance and assess its sustainability.

  • PulteGroup beats profit, revenue estimates on higher home sales

    Homebuilder PulteGroup beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter profit and revenue on Tuesday, aided by strong demand for new constructions amid an acute shortage of existing homes. With the popular 30-year fixed mortgage rate hovering at about 7% for months, U.S. homeowners who secured fixed rates below 5% during an era of cheap debt remain unwilling to list their homes and buy a new one with a higher interest rate. The Atlanta, Georgia-based homebuilder reported a first-quarter profit of $3.10 per share, above analysts' average estimates of $2.36, according to LSEG data.

  • InRetail Peru Corp's Dividend Analysis

    InRetail Peru Corp (INREF) recently announced a dividend of $0.83 per share, payable on 2024-05-15, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into InRetail Peru Corp's dividend performance and assess its sustainability.

  • Topdanmark A/S's Dividend Analysis

    Topdanmark A/S (TPDKY) recently announced a dividend of $0.17 per share, payable on 2024-05-13, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into Topdanmark A/S's dividend performance and assess its sustainability.

  • Telus Cup crowds have Membertou businesses prepared for busy week

    MEMBERTOU — The return of the Telus Cup national under-18 men's hockey championship to Nova Scotia and the tournament's first time coming to Cape Breton marks a significant step up for Membertou-hosted sports events but also in local economic impact. For the first time in a First Nations community, the Telus Cup tournament is being held this week at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre. Local business managers are anticipating a busy week ahead. In January, Jennifer Collins, chair of the Telu

  • Flughafen Zuerich AG's Dividend Analysis

    Flughafen Zuerich AG (FLGZY) recently announced a dividend of $0.24 per share, payable on 2024-05-13, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's delve into Flughafen Zuerich AG's dividend performance and evaluate its sustainability. Flughafen Zuerich AG operates Zurich Airport, providing services for international, domestic, and regional flights.

  • Alec Baldwin Slaps Phone of Woman Telling Him to Say ‘Free Palestine’

    David Dee Delgado/ReutersA video posted online Monday night appears to show actor Alec Baldwin slapping a phone out of a woman’s hand as she repeatedly demanded that he say “free Palestine” and heckled him about his ongoing manslaughter case.The footage was posted on the X account of Crackhead Barney & Friends. “White devil Alec Baldwin attacked me While I was trying to get coffeee [sic]” a caption alongside the video read.White devil Alec Baldwin attacked meWhile I was trying to get coffeee pic

  • Thomas has Paris on his mind ahead of European Rowing Championships

    Graeme Thomas made a great start to the new season in his bid for a Paris 2024 seat

  • London Mayoral Election 2024: Who are the candidates running for mayor?

    Around six million Londoners will be able to vote on 2 May

  • Supreme Court Considers Letting Cities Punish Homeless for Sleeping Outside

    On April 22, the Supreme Court will hear a case out of Grants Pass, Oregon, which has a population of less than 40,000, NPR reports. 'Grants Pass v. Johnson' seeks to challenge two 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rulings which found fining or jailing the unhoused to be cruel and unusual punishment when they have no other alternative.

  • ‘Tax version of a colonoscopy’: New York cracks down on wealthy out-of-state residents avoiding taxes

    "They’ll pull you back in."

  • Boliden AB's Dividend Analysis

    Boliden AB (BDNNY) recently announced a dividend of $1.46 per share, payable on 2024-05-15, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into Boliden AB's dividend performance and assess its sustainability.

  • AptarGroup Inc's Dividend Analysis

    AptarGroup Inc (NYSE:ATR) recently announced a dividend of $0.41 per share, payable on 2024-05-16, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into AptarGroup Inc's dividend performance and assess its sustainability.

  • Prysmian SpA's Dividend Analysis

    Prysmian SpA (PRYMY) recently announced a dividend of $0.37 per share, payable on 2024-05-08, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into Prysmian SpA's dividend performance and assess its sustainability.

  • India's Modi calls rivals pro-Muslim as election campaign changes tack

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist party have begun attacking opposition rivals, saying they favour minority Muslims, in what analysts see as a bid to invigorate their hardline base after general elections began last week. India began voting on Friday in a seven-phase election at which Modi seeks a rare third consecutive term, with campaigning that had so far largely focused on his record of growth and welfare as well as his personal popularity. But in a speech on Sunday, Modi referred to Muslims as "infiltrators" who have "more children", linking the comment to what he called an election plan of the main opposition Congress party to redistribute the wealth of Hindus among Muslims.

  • Helen Glover targeting European glory en route to third Olympic gold

    Double Olympic champion Helen Glover hopes the upcoming European Rowing Championships is just another stepping stone on the road to a third Olympic gold medal.

  • Koc Holding AS's Dividend Analysis

    Koc Holding AS (KHOLY) recently announced a dividend of $1.24 per share, payable on 2024-05-13, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-04-24. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into Koc Holding AS's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does Koc Holding AS Do?