[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 144 (Thursday, September 7, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4256-S4257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Nomination of Anna M. Gomez

  Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss Anna Gomez, one of 
President Biden's FCC nominees. If confirmed, she would give the 
Democrats a majority at the FCC that would enable them to impose a 
radical leftwing agenda, including investment-killing and job-killing 
so-called net neutrality rules, otherwise known as ``Obamacare for the 
internet.''
  I strongly oppose her nomination, and I encourage my colleagues to do 
the same. The FCC exercises vast power over how Americans communicate 
and access information. It also has a history of abusing vague 
statutory provisions to pursue partisan policy goals. In the wrong 
hands, the FCC could go down a dark path of censoring speech and 
engaging in regulatory overreach.
  Under current Democrat FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel's leadership, that 
threat is not merely hypothetical. The FCC has engaged in unprecedented 
abuses of power, such as killing the multibillion-dollar Standard 
General-TEGNA transaction without a Commission vote, attempting to 
expand the Universal Service Fund spending in defiance of clear 
statutory limits, and holding valuable 2.5 gigahertz spectrum licenses 
hostage.
  Even more alarming, the FCC is now entertaining requests by radical 
leftwing groups to revoke a broadcast station's license for alleged 
``misinformation'' and turning a routine FCC license renewal proceeding 
into a truth commission, an alarming assault on the First Amendment. 
And that is without a Democrat majority on the FCC. With a majority, 
there is no telling what regulatory excesses the Chairwoman could 
inflict--from forcing antiquated telephone monopoly rules on the 
competitive broadband industry to micromanaging providers' rates and 
terms of service, to imposing crippling new legal risks on American 
companies through ``disparate impact'' lawsuits.
  Make no mistake, a vote for Anna Gomez is a vote for regulating the 
internet as a public utility. Ms. Gomez has publicly supported the 
reinstatement of the heavyhanded Obama-era net neutrality rules that 
would make the internet more expensive and slower for American 
households, despite privately confessing that Democrats had engaged in 
wild ``hyperbole'' in opposing the repeal of net neutrality.
  Rather than giving reasons for the reinstatement of the failed net 
neutrality rules, she claims she simply wants ``robust authority'' over 
the internet. In other words, the power to regulate companies' pricing 
and terms of service and to collect billions of dollars in new taxes 
from them and from you, the consumer, all at the expense of investment 
and innovation and consumer choice.
  She has also refused to disavow the ongoing efforts to impose 
investment-killing ``disparate impact'' liability on American broadband 
companies. And she has given noncommittal answers to my requests for 
commitments to improve transparency and accountability at the FCC.
  Ms. Gomez has a history of failing to protect taxpayer interests. In 
the Obama administration, she had a senior leadership role in 
implementing a wasteful $4 billion broadband grant program. In one 
egregious example, funding from a $100 million project in Colorado was 
used to build a third fiber connection to a single school of 11 
students. But by far, most concerning in Ms. Gomez's history is her 
tweets concerning the use of government power to police so-called 
misinformation.
  For instance, she retweeted a claim made by Democrat Congresswoman 
Cori Bush, who is a member of the radical leftwing squad in the House, 
that Trump engaged in a ``targeted mass disinformation campaign against 
3.5 million Black voters in 2016'' for the purpose of voter 
suppression.
  In addition, she tweeted enthusiastically in support of efforts by 
the Defense Department's research wing--known as DARPA--and the Federal 
Government to crack down on so-called disinformation. At this point, it 
is, sadly, well known that the Biden administration has repeatedly 
trampled on the First Amendment to silence opposing views.
  The White House Press Secretary publicly bragged that they were ``in 
regular touch'' and ``flagging problematic posts'' for social media 
companies and threatening new legislation if those companies did not 
heed the censors. And the Biden DHS tried to create its own ``ministry 
of truth'' before a public backlash shamed them into disbanding the 
effort.
  Amid these First Amendment assaults, as well as recent efforts at the 
FCC to deplatform a FOX broadcast station, it was critical to gain 
clarity into Ms. Gomez's views on free speech, ``disinformation,'' and 
the FCC's role in such matters.
  Unfortunately, she gave vague answers to my questions and did not 
reassure the Commerce Committee that she would actively oppose 
censorship at the FCC.
  Confirming Ms. Gomez would harm taxpayers, broadband investment, 
innovation, and most importantly, our First Amendment freedoms.
  I strongly encourage my colleagues to oppose her nomination.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise today in support of President 
Biden's nomination of Anna Gomez to be a commissioner of the Federal 
Communications Commission.
  Americans need an FCC fully equipped to deliver affordable high-speed 
connectivity, strengthen local broadcasting, foster spectrum 
innovation, and promote emerging technologies. Ms. Gomez will deliver 
on these priorities.
  While she has dedicated much of her career to public service, working 
in various roles at the FCC, serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary at 
NTIA, and at the National Economic Council during the Clinton 
administration, she has also worked in the private sector.
  For 3 years, she served as the vice president of State and Federal 
regulatory, government affairs for Sprint Nextel, and for 9 years, she 
worked at Wiley Rein, as part of the law firm's telecommunications 
practice.
  Ms. Gomez will focus on ensuring affordable, reliable broadband 
across America's cities, suburbs, and rural communities. In recent 
years, it has become increasingly clear that for healthcare, education, 
labor, and so much more, broadband is a necessity.
  For this purpose, Congress allocated $65 billion for broadband in the 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $42.5 billion allocated based 
on the FCC's broadband maps. Ms. Gomez has pledged to work to improve 
the accuracy of these maps and deliver broadband to all.
  We also need to lower the cost of broadband deployment. By leveraging 
our existing electrical grid infrastructure, we can build out more 
middle mile capacity. This will spur competition and help lower the 
cost of broadband.
  While Congress invested $1 billion to create a middle mile grant 
program at the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, the demand for this funding was more than seven times 
the amount available. We must do more.
  Given her experience working at NTIA, Ms. Gomez has unique expertise 
in middle mile broadband deployment issues.
  The FCC also plays an important role in sustaining local news. Local 
stations provide trusted on-the-ground reporting that informs the 
public and strengthens our democracy.
  Ms. Gomez understands that we must protect local broadcast news and 
has pledged to delve into what the FCC can do to protect it.
  She will also fight to ensure that the United States remains a leader 
in global spectrum policy. As countries like China compete for spectrum 
leadership, we must develop smart spectrum policies that promote 
national security and innovation.
  We know the FCC has a crucial role in making sufficient spectrum 
available for wireless innovation and our federal agencies' critical 
missions.
  Over the past year, Ms. Gomez has worked hard to prepare the United 
States for the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference and develop a 
comprehensive U.S. global spectrum strategy. She has also built a 
strong team that is well-informed and

[[Page S4257]]

well-equipped to represent U.S. interests in spectrum policy.
  Some of my Republican colleagues have complained that they did not 
have an opportunity to meet with the nominee or that we should not 
confirm her until the World Radiocommunication Conference is over.
  It has been 100 days since Ms. Gomez's nomination and 57 days since 
the committee's vote. Ms. Gomez has been available, willing, and eager 
to meet with all Senators to discuss her qualifications for the role.
  The State Department also has extremely qualified experts who can 
step in for Ms. Gomez, just as she has planned for.
  Anna Gomez has the knowledge, skills, and qualities to be an FCC 
Commissioner. I am proud to support Ms. Gomez's nomination, and I urge 
my colleagues to do the same.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.
  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I rise today in support of Anna Gomez, 
President Joe Biden's nominee to serve on the Federal Communications 
Commission.
  The FCC is one of the premier, expert Agencies in the Federal 
Government, responsible for overseeing the wires and the radio waves 
that have become the backbone of our economy and our communities.
  But since the beginning of the Biden administration nearly 1,000 days 
ago, the Agency has been hamstrung in implementing critical 
communications priorities due to the absence of a fifth Commissioner. 
With Ms. Gomez as a Commissioner, that will finally change. The Federal 
Communications Commission will have the power to take on the big-dollar 
interests that seek to block critical consumer protections at every 
turn.
  I support Ms. Gomez's nomination because I know she is ready for 
these fights. She knows that today broadband is not a luxury. Like 
running water or heat, broadband is an essential utility. Without high-
quality and affordable broadband, students cannot learn, small 
businesses cannot reach new customers, entrepreneurs cannot innovate, 
and seniors cannot access telemedicine. The FCC's authority must 
reflect the essential nature of the internet in American life, and that 
is exactly what Ms. Gomez will provide.
  With three Democratic Commissioners, the FCC can act swiftly to 
restore net neutrality and protect a free and open internet. My 
Republican colleagues will say that Congress should act on net 
neutrality instead of the Federal Communications Commission, but their 
Big Cable and Big Tech industry allies will be in their ear with 
crocodile-tear arguments about an out-of-control Agency usurping the 
will of Congress.
  Well, if Republicans really want to take on this problem through 
legislation and not administrative action, then they should be prepared 
to join me when I reintroduce my net neutrality legislation in the 
coming weeks. They can be on record supporting internet freedom or 
siding with the broadband behemoths.
  It has been nearly 6 years since the Trump FCC repealed net 
neutrality. We cannot wait any longer for Republicans to come to their 
senses. We must confirm Ms. Gomez so that the FCC can act without 
delay.
  We must also confirm Ms. Gomez because the FCC must address other 
critical communications issues, including technology accessibility for 
people with disabilities, protecting local community media, and closing 
the homework gap.
  I am particularly concerned about the future of the $7 billion 
Emergency Connectivity Fund, which I passed during the pandemic. Over 
the past 2 years, thanks to the Commission's hard work, the Emergency 
Connectivity Fund has provided laptops, tablets, and internet services 
to more than 17 million students and teachers. Those resources are 
particularly critical for Black and Brown and immigrant and low-income 
populations who often lack access to the internet at home.
  Unfortunately, this program will soon be out of money, potentially 
disconnecting millions of students and driving a deeper wedge into the 
digital divide. We cannot let that happen.
  I stand ready to work with my colleagues to extend this essential 
funding, and I know that Ms. Gomez, like Chairwoman Jessica 
Rosenworcel, will be a fierce advocate for students at the Commission 
so that we can keep closing the homework gap and provide every child 
with access to the 21st-century tools they will need.
  We stand at a critical moment to ensure a just broadband future for 
everyone. We need Anna Gomez on the Federal Communications Commission. 
She has the knowledge, the values, and the judgment the Commission 
needs.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting her nomination.
  I yield the floor.