Takeaways
- The Senate Commerce Committee in an executive session today moved the nomination of Alvaro Bedoya to be a commissioner of the FTC to the full Senate.
- The committee also voted today to approve Gigi Sohn for FCC commissioner.
- Both nominees were moved to the full Senate by tie votes along party lines, which means that the Senate must vote to discharge the committee from consideration before the nominations can be considered.
The Senate Commerce Committee today moved the nomination of Alvaro Bedoya to be a commissioner of the FTC to the full Senate. The tie vote along party lines, 14-14, means that the Senate must vote to discharge the committee from consideration before the nomination can be considered by the full Senate.
Ranking member Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., asserted that Bedoya has publicly expressed divisive views on policy matters and that he would not bring a “cooperative spirit” to the FTC.
Bedoya is the founding director of the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law, where he is also a visiting professor of law. President Joe Biden
announced his intent to nominate Bedoya on Sept. 13, 2021. The Commerce Committee on Dec. 1
reported a tie vote on the nomination. The nomination was returned to the White House at the end of the previous congressional session, which concluded at the end of 2021. Biden
renominated Bedoya on Jan. 4.
Should Bedoya be confirmed by the full Senate, it would bring the FTC up to full strength. Currently, the commission has four members - two Democrats and two Republicans - and a majority must vote in favor of any enforcement action.
The committee also voted 14-14 today to move the nomination of Gigi Sohn for FCC commissioner to the full Senate.