President Donald Trump has nominated Republican Danielle Thumann Severs, who is a senior counsel to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, to serve on one of the two open seats on the commission.
The nomination was sent to the U.S. Senate on Friday, where it will go through a formal process for confirmation.
If Thumann Severs were approved as a standalone candidate, the FCC would have a three-to-one Republican majority among its commissioners.
“Danielle is a dedicated public servant and has consistently delivered policy wins from bridging the digital divide and protecting consumers to advancing public safety,” Carr said on X, congratulating Thumann Severs on her nomination.
“I am deeply humbled and honored by President Trump’s nomination to serve in this role,” Thumann Severs said on X. “I look forward to the Senate confirmation process and, if confirmed, to serving our country with dedication and gratitude.”
“We want pairing”
Traditionally, we might expect Thumann Severs’ nomination to be followed up with the appointment of a Democratic commissioner, in an effort to be confirmed to the agency in tandem and fill the FCC’s other vacant seat.
But there was no indication of such on Friday.
After news of the nomination circulated, several Democrats indicated they will object if Republicans seek to advance Thumann Severs without any attempt at bipartisan balance, according to John Hendel of Politico.
“That will be a problem,” Senate Commerce ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) told Politico regarding the nomination. “We want pairing.”
Implications
The FCC requires a quorum of three commissioners to conduct commission business, according to the Communications Act. That’s how it has been operating since Olivia Trusty, a Republican, was confirmed by the Senate last year.
The quorum does not have to include members of both political parties. However, the statute limits the commission to no more than three commissioners from the same political party.
“Serving on this commission is one of the most rewarding jobs in government,” Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat commissioner, said in congratulating Thumann Severs on X. “I look forward to continuing our work together, hopefully soon with a full commission of five, the way this agency was built to operate.”
The nomination will also serve to resurface speculation on Gomez’s own future. Her term as commissioner expired July 1. Under the Communications Act, she may legally remain in office until the expiration of the session of Congress that begins after the expiration of her term, or until a successor is appointed and confirmed.
But through a June ruling by the Supreme Court, Trump has the legal avenue to fire Gomez, if he wants. And, it’s not clear if Trump even intends to fill Democratic seats, as Politico suggested.
Asked how quickly the Senate might process Thumann Severs, according to Politico, Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) hesitated: “I don’t know. We will assess the nomination on its merits.”
Background
Currently, Thumann Severs advises Carr on matters before the Wireline Bureau, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, according to her FCC biography.
She rejoined then-Commissioner Carr’s office in August 2024 after working in the private sector on government relations matters for Crown Castle, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Thumann Severs previously served as legal advisor in Commissioner Carr’s office from March 2021 until July 2023. Before that, she worked as a communications attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Wilkinson Barker Knauer.
In 2016, she earned her J.D. from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law, where she was associate editor of the Law Review.
Thumann Severs received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in 2013, according to her LinkedIn profile.
“Her extensive experience at the commission and deep understanding of communications policy will serve her well in this important role,” NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said of Thumann Severs in a release.
We’ll update this story with more information as it is warranted.
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