Gigi Sohn has pulled her name from consideration for a seat on the Federal Communications Commission, according to the Washington Post and other news reports.
Her nomination had been the focus of bitter partisan debate since October of 2021. Sohn, once an aide to former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, was nominated by President Biden but criticized by Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz for “extremism, poor ethics, bad judgment and disdain for Congress.”
The news comes after Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin had said he would not support the nomination.
The hangup over her nomination has caused the FCC to operate with a 2-2 political tie under Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
Reuters quoted Sohn saying, “The FCC deadlock, now over two years long, will remain so for a long time. Unfortunately the American people are the real losers here. As someone who has advocated for my entire career for affordable, accessible broadband for every American, it is ironic that the 2-2 FCC will remain sidelined at the most consequential opportunity for broadband in our lifetimes.”
