Biden appoints interim chairmen to lead FCC, FTC

President Biden on Thursday appointed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel as interim chairmen of their respective agencies.

President of the FCC Ajit PaiAjit PaiHillicon Valley: Twitter permanently suspends Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell and others | Laptop stolen from Pelosi’s office during Capitol Riots | Reddit bans forum r / DonaldTrump Pai Drops Trump Executive Order to Amend Section 230 Night Defense: US Aircraft Carrier Stays in Middle East in Abrupt Upset | DC Guard Activated Before Pro-Trump Protests | 10 former Defense Secretaries denounce military involvement in the electoral conflict READ MORE and FTC Chairman Joseph Simons, both Republicans, had announced plans to step down later this month.

Rosenworcel said she was “honored” to be named interim president of the FCC and to work to expand communication possibilities across the country.

“I thank the President for the opportunity to lead an agency with such a vital mission and talented staff. It is a privilege to serve the American people and to work on their behalf to expand the reach of communication possibilities in the digital age, ”she said in a statement.

During his tenure as president, Pai repealed the Obama-era net neutrality rules that allowed the FCC to attack service providers who discriminated against certain web traffic. The repeal will likely be rolled back after the Democrats secure a 3-2 majority on the committee.

Slaughter, who has worked at the FTC since 2018, said she was “deeply honored and grateful” to lead it.

“The best part of service at the FTC is working with our incredibly dedicated and talented staff. Their expertise, creativity and unwavering commitment have filled me with confidence that we will be able to meet the formidable challenges facing our markets and the American people today, ”Slaughter said in the announcement.

She also thanked Simons, who said a day before Biden’s inauguration that he would step down, effective January 29.

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the excellent leadership of President Simons at a time of unprecedented challenges,” said Slaughter.

In addition to replacing Simons as FTC chairman, Biden will have to take another place on the five-member board of directors held by the Democratic commissioner. Rohit chopraRohit ChopraConsumer Office Director Resigns After Biden Hillicon Valley Inauguration: Biden Chooses Need For Cybersecurity Stress In Confirmation Hearings | FTC Chairman to Resign This Month | Progressives warn against appointing tech insiders to key antitrust roles.. The president’s transition team said days before the transfer of power that the then president-elect would appoint Chopra to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.