Democratic FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, thought to be a lame duck after Sen. Tom Daschle lost his Senate seat on Nov. 2, has gotten a reprieve.
The White House has nominated Adelstein for a new five-year term on the FCC. A former legislative assistant to Daschle, Adelstein originally joined the commission in December 2002 when Daschle nominated him to fill the final six months of Democrat Gloria Tristani’s term.
When Tristani’s term expired, Daschle asked Bush to nominate Adelstein for a full term, but political infighting between Democrats and Republicans over judicial and executive branch nominees throughout the 108th Congress kept Adelstein’s nomination on ice.
By law, Adelstein, a South Dakota native, was allowed to serve on the FCC until the end of the 108th Congress, and the special lame duck session currently underway provided a last chance for him to retain his seat.
Adelstein survived after a compromise deal was constructed between the White House and Senate Democrats on stalled judicial and executive appointments. The Los Angeles Times reported that a number of rural telephone carriers also lobbied hard for the native South Dakotan, pointing to his strong support of expanding communications services in rural communities.
For more information, visit www.fcc.gov.