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McDowell Confirmed to FCC

May 26, 2006  •  Post A Comment

The Senate last Friday confirmed the nomination of telecommunications lawyer Robert McDowell to the Federal Communications Commission, ending a two-month delay and handing FCC Chairman Kevin Martin a Republican majority on the panel.

The unanimous confirmation fills the fifth seat on the five-member commission and ends deadlocks created by having the seat open. Until Friday’s confirmation, the panel consisted of two Democrats and two Republicans. Mr. McDowell’s seat expires June 30, 2009.

Mr. McDowell was nominated earlier this year, but his confirmation stalled after Sen. John Rockefeller, D-W.Va., put a hold on the nomination.

Mr. McDowell previously was a lawyer for the telecommunications group Comptel, which represents smaller telephone and Internet companies that compete with telecommunications giants such as Verizon and AT&T.