Danielle Thumann Severs’ FCC nomination could create a 3-1 GOP majority

President Donald Trump has sent Danielle Thumann Severs’ FCC nomination to the Senate, a move that would give Republicans a 3-1 edge at the Federal Communications Commission if she is confirmed. The August 7 announcement named Severs for one open seat but included neither a nominee for the commission’s other vacancy nor a renomination of Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez.

Severs, a North Carolina lawyer and senior counsel to FCC Chair Brendan Carr, was nominated for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2024, according to the White House. She remains a nominee, not a commissioner: Senate confirmation is required before she can take office.

The commission currently has two Republicans, including Carr, and one Democrat, Gomez, with two vacant seats, according to Politico. Confirmation of Severs would leave the FCC with three Republican commissioners and Gomez, while one seat would still be unfilled unless the White House makes a further nomination.

What would a 3-1 FCC majority allow Republicans to do?

Three commissioners make a quorum, the minimum needed for the FCC to convene meetings and take votes. A confirmed Severs would therefore allow the three Republicans to conduct commission business without Gomez’s participation, changing the agency’s practical voting dynamics even though the fifth seat remains open.

• Current makeup: two Republicans, one Democrat and two vacancies.
• If Severs is confirmed: three Republicans, one Democrat and one vacancy.
• What remains unresolved: the White House has not announced a choice for the remaining vacancy or whether it will renominate Gomez.

The FCC traditionally has five members, generally with a 3-2 partisan split that gives the president’s party a one-seat majority. For decades, senators have often moved nominees from both parties together for multi-member agencies, Politico reported. That practice is not the same as a requirement that the White House submit nominations in pairs.

Democrats are objecting to the lack of a companion nomination. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, told Politico: “We want pairing.” Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce telecommunications and media subcommittee, said the positions should be filled through a bipartisan process.

Gomez is serving in a holdover period after her term lapsed and may remain through the end of 2027 or until a successor is confirmed, Politico and Ars Technica reported. Her continued service means Severs’ confirmation would produce a 3-1 split, rather than an all-Republican commission.

The Senate Commerce Committee must consider Severs before a full Senate vote. Politico reported that a hearing was likely in September, though the timing was uncertain amid a constrained legislative calendar. The nomination puts the immediate question before the Senate, while the administration’s plans for the remaining FCC seat are still unstated.

This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.