FCC Chair to Step Down Upon Trump’s Inauguration

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Jessica Rosenworcel has announced she will leave the agency on the day of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Rosenworcel, a Democrat, joined the FCC in 2012. She was named permanent chair by President Joe Biden in October 2021, becoming the first woman to hold that position. “I want to thank President Biden for entrusting me with the responsibility to guide the FCC during a time when communications technology is a part of every aspect of civic and commercial life,” Rosenworcel wrote in a Nov. 21 statement announcing her departure. The FCC under Rosenworcel oversaw the Biden administration’s $14.2 billion internet subsidies, which gave eligible low-income families $30 monthly discounts for broadband access. She also led a $7 billion initiative to provide millions of students with Wi-Fi hotspots and other devices during the COVID-19 pandemic, when school lockdowns were widespread and remote learning became the norm....