Jennifer Richter Quoted in Fierce Telecom on Vacancies in Biden-Harris Admin.’s Top Telecom Posts

Jennifer Richter, head of the communications and information technology practice at Akin Gump, has been quoted in the Fierce Telecom article 'Biden drags feet filling key telecom posts at FCC, NTIA.'

The article reports that both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) remain without permanent leaders, eight months in to President Biden's term in office. In addition, the FCC is missing a fifth commissioner, leaving it split evenly along political lines, while the NTIA is operating with its top two posts vacant.

Speaking of the situation, Richter said it's not clear the White House needs to do anything other than make the acting heads of the FCC and NTIA permanent leaders to end 'any uncertainty the delayed nominations' are causing.

From her vantage point, Richter added, 'the only thing impacted by not having a permanent FCC Chair, and having a 2-2 split at the FCC, is the ability to take up controversial issues such as net neutrality, but perhaps that isn't all bad as it gives the FCC room to focus on accomplishing other important objectives that are not so ideological and divisive.'