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Senate Hold Delays McDowell’s FCC Confirmation

Apr 6, 2006  •  Post A Comment

A hold on the nomination of Robert McDowell to a Republican seat at the Federal Communications Commission is blocking his Senate confirmation vote, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said Thursday.

Mr. McDowell is unlikely to win a confirmation vote until the hold can be worked out.

Sen. Stevens told reporters he wasn’t sure who had put the hold on the Senate floor vote for Mr. McDowell. Under Senate custom, any senator can anonymously block a vote on a nominee, usually because of objections to the nominee or to seek political trade-off.

If Mr. McDowell is confirmed as the FCC’s fifth commissioner by the full Senate, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin will have a Republican majority at the agency.