Senate confirms FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel to another term

The Senate voted 68-31 to confirm Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, the first woman to hold that title, to another five-year term, narrowly avoiding a Republican majority at the agency once her current term was set to expire at the end of 2021. Rosenworcel will be tasked with expanding broadband connectivity, supporting 5G implementation and bringing back net neutrality rules. Rosenworcel has been a champion of closing the so-called homework gap, which refers to the divide between students with and without access to broadband. During the pandemic, she was among those who advocated for reinterpreting E-Rate rules, which helps schools and libraries get connected to the internet, to allow students in distance learning to access those funds.