Sen. Cruz Places Hold on Obama Nominee

Posted on 18 October, 2013 by sophia


Via The Wall Street Journal
The shutdown may be over, but Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) isn’t done making trouble for the Obama administration.
A spokesman for Mr. Cruz said Thursday that he has placed a hold on the nomination of former telecom lobbyist and venture capitalist Tom Wheeler to lead the Federal Communications Commission until Mr. Wheeler pledges not to require more disclosures from the sponsors of political ads.
Cruz spokesman Sean Rushton said by email that Mr. Wheeler has “expressed his readiness to revisit the senator’s questions.” The FCC declined to comment.
Mr. Cruz has opposed a measure called the Disclose Act that would require corporations, unions and other outside groups to disclose when they spend more than $10,000 to air campaign-related ads.
Democrats have made several efforts to pass the bill since the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which opened the door to greater corporate and union spending on lobbying. None has succeeded, but earlier this year several Democrats suggested the FCC could require such disclosure under its existing authority.
Current regulations require broadcasters and cable providers to reveal the “true sponsor” of all commercials. In practice the rule is rarely enforced, according to a Government Accountability Office report.
Mr. Cruz seized on the issue at Mr. Wheeler’s June confirmation hearing, saying any attempt by the FCC to achieve the Disclose Act’s goals through executive fiat would go beyond its authority. He appeared unsatisfied with Mr. Wheeler’s response then, and Mr. Rushton, the Cruz spokesman, said the hold on the nomination would remain until the senator gets a fuller answer.
Mr. Cruz led congressional Republicans during the government shutdown in demanding that any deal defund or delay the 2010 Affordable Care Act. That push wasn’t successful, but the FCC move makes clear Mr. Cruz is keeping his take-no-prisoners style.
The FCC now has three commissioners out of its full complement of five. The nomination of former Republican staffer Michael O’Rielly to the commission is also on hold until Mr. Wheeler is brought up for a vote.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D., W.V.), chairman of the Senate committee that considered the nominations, criticized the delay. “If the government is going to fully function for the American people, we have to get these highly qualified nominees confirmed now,” he said.


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