The U.S. Senate has gone home for the holidays without voting to reconfirm Democratic Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. The Senate will continue to hold brief, pro forma sessions to prevent recess appointments, and it is possible that Rosenworcel could be reconfirmed by unanimous consent – but this is considered unlikely given multiple anonymous holds that various Senators have placed on her re-nomination. Rosenworcel will have to exit before the new Congress is seated in early January, after which the Commission will be at a 2-2 tie until Chairman Tom Wheeler exits or the new Republican Chairman is seated. Chairman Wheeler’s term does not expire until 2018, and it is possible that he could remain on the Commission once the new administration takes office in January.
