Democratic Senators Skeptical of Carr’s Claims of FCC Independence

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2017 -- Questions over network neutrality and the ability of one nominee to be independent from his boss and the Trump Administration made for a far more contentious confirmation hearing than nominees to an independent agency like the FCC would normally receive, as the Senate Commerce Committee took up the nomination of newcomer Brenden Carr (R) and veterans Ajit Pai (R) -- currently Chairman -- and Jessica Rosenworcel, who was re-nominated by President Trump after he withdrew her nomination earlier this year.

Carr, a veteran of the federal communications bar who currently serves as General Counsel to the FCC, was the subject of aggressive questioning by democrats, including Ranking Member Bill Nelson, D-Fla, who asked the nominee whether he could be trusted to be independent of Pai once their relationship is one of equals and not employer and employee, and asked Carr if he could name one instance in which he disagreed with his boss.

Carr either could not or would not answer the question directly, but told Nelson that if confirmed he would make his own decisions and “call what I see based on facts.”

When pressed further for an example of disagreement between Chairman Pai and himself, Carr only offered a general statement that his views sometimes differed but couldn’t say as to when anything along those lines had ever happened.

Carr also claimed to be unfamiliar with several topics that one would expect a longtime FCC staffer to be conversant in, including the E-Rate program, which provides for discounted Internet access for schools and libraries. When asked how he’d vote on matters related to E-Rate, he claimed that it was “something I’m not familiar with” but promised to keep an open mind.

Both Pai and Rosenworcel, by contrast, said they were more than familiar with the E-Rate program, with the Chairman stating that the program was worth fighting for, and the Democratic nominee calling E-Rate a good thing for education.

Pai was also the subject of aggressive questioning by Republican Senators on the subject of Network Neutrality, with the goal of giving him the chance to support his decision to roll back Obama-era rules.

The Chairman told Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, that the result of the decision by then-Chairman Tom Wheeler (D) to reclassify broadband under Title II of the Telecommunications Act, was to create an environment of over-regulation which discouraged investment by broadband providers in rural areas, and in the growth of small local internet service providers.

And while Pai added that his goal was to return to a “Clinton-era light touch” regulatory environment, he was not able to provide a single example of the Title II reclassification causing companies to refrain from investing in broadband infrastructure.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., said at the end of the hearing that a vote on the three nominations could be expected within the next two weeks.

Kansas 4th, and Georgia 6th, and Bernie Sanders! Oh My!

     These past two weeks have been a whirlwind of political games for many within the democratic party. The special elections in both Kansas and Georgia have proven to be a turning point for the Democrats if they wish to regain Congress and the Presidency.
     I had the honor to move to Wichita to work the Kansas Fourth Congressional District special election. During the primary - well, before the district nominating convention, I worked on behalf of Dennis McKinney's campaign. I knocked doors, engaged with voters about the importance of voting by mail, and showing support for my candidate by gathering support from constituents. After the district convention, the democrats in the Kansas fourth decided to have James Thompson represent them as a nominee to run against Republican Ron Estes. I continued living in Kansas, with a close friend of mine, and we both volunteered for the Thompson campaign by making calls and knocking on doors towards the end of the campaign. In the end, the Thompson campaign came up only 6.8% short of winning. This is important because Trump won that district by at least 27 points and the Thompson campaign narrowed that margin. Kansas will be blue again; however, it will just have to wait until 2018.
     The Georgia Sixth Congressional District race has been interesting to watch as well. Jon Ossoff was the overall "winner" of the election last week; however, he did not break the 50% threshold so now the race will go into a runoff against Republican Karen Handel. That runoff election will take place on June 20, 2017. There has been a lot of media attention on the Georgia Sixth race and not nearly enough on the Kansas Fourth race, so I won't speak too much on the Georgia Sixth.
     With both the Kansas and Georgia races, we see two different dynamics emerge within the Democratic Party. The striking aspect is that both of these races yielded higher turnout numbers than usual for a special election. Even as Georgia Sixth goes to a runoff, the effect of 2016 is still visibly known. In Kansas, the voters in the Fourth decided to put fourth a nominee who is more aligned with the Bernie Sander's wing of the party. Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with that; however, I think this loss does provide some context as to how the Sanders model will prove to be problematic moving forward within the party. You can't have a "my way or else" mindset but have compromise on issues to advance the party. When the focus is shifted to Georgia Sixth race, we see someone who is more aligned with the "establishment" wing of the party. Overall Ossoff was able to speak to a larger audience while still maintaining his progressive candidacy. Furthermore, the problem with a "one size fits all" approach is that not every democrat is the same.  To challenge another democrat's "progressiveness" to fit your ideals, or do challenge another democrat's understanding on party politics, does not help the party overall. We need to leave 2016 in the past and realize that it is 2017 and build rapports with all areas of the Democratic Party...not continue to burn them to the ground. If we cannot focus on winning and supporting Democrats in areas of the country that provides a challenge, then we will fail to win national elections - which will trickle down to state governments as well. So let's focus on winning the future of the party and not dwell on a lost past of divided party politics.

Now, let's focus on Montana and the Virginia races....and when Alabama nominates their party candidate, we will focus there as well!

Trump Knows Real Estate, Not International Law

     On April 7, 2017, the United States fired tomahawk cruise missiles into the borders of Syria, destroying an air base which was believed to be the epicenter of a chemical weapon attack on the Syrian people - by the government of Syria. The forty-fifth president of the United States cites this breach of international law as a vital national security concern. During the emergency United Nations Security Council meeting, the Russian Federation (a permanent member to the Security Council) - as well as Syria, Sweden, & Bolivia - strongly condemned violation of international law and/or act of aggression towards Syria. This strength of force has been viewed to some both in Syria and Russia as an act of war. While Iran does not sit on the UN Security Council, it did publicly state it's strong opposition to the use of force and violation of international law by the United States.
     While there is standing precedent for a president to act unilaterally without congressional approval (such law was passed back in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks and used to go into Afghanistan and eventually Iraq), it is a long standing tradition for the president to seek congressional approval before any military actions are to take place. Not to mention, a president has always sought Congress' approval for a declaration of war.
     The President of the United States is sending a dangerous message to the rest of the world by launching missiles into Syria. The message is simple: Abide by the demands of the United States or suffer the military wrath of the United States. This is not the first time this president has disrespected another country or foreign leader. The president would not shake German Chancellor Angela Merkel's hand during a photo-op/press conference, he has had tense words with the Prime Minister of Australia regarding refugees coming to the United States set up under the Obama administration, and his continued feud with Mexico over building a wall along the southern border of the United States are just a few examples of his blatant disrespect of international norms and procedures of international laws and geopolitical etiquette. These acts might seem minor to many, but they could have a direct - and potentially long-standing -  consequences for the United States on an international level. Some of the repercussions have already started with the European Union rejecting visa-free travel for all Americans.
     The President is trying to "restart" foreign policy that has been in place since the forming of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations. What he should be doing is looking to history and recognize that a unilateral intervention has never been in the best interest of the United States - especially in the Middle East. In the vital interest of National Security, it would be prudent to not unilaterally engage in situations that have proper protocols and procedures to handle international violations of human rights and to international law. There are multiple cases such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Vietnam, and even in Libya  that show where unilateral efforts by the United States has proven to backfire - either by public/international lack of support or by an increase of recruitment among terrorist organizations which result in a rise in frequent terror attacks around the world (the most recent cases include the attack on Parliament in London and a truck attack in Sweden).
     The overall questions we need to keep asking are: why now and what is the end game? Is it a war with Russia, which would be utilized as a 2020 campaign ploy; or, are both countries creating a distraction because both parties understand that they are guilty of obstructing the democratic process of the 2016 election and worked in coordination and are trying to cover their tracks? Regardless, I foresee a new war that will be reminiscent of the Afghanistan/Iraq timeline where the United States will engage in Syria first, and then turn its attention to Russia and that will escalate into a global war as two superpowers who hold power places within the United Nations Security Council will force the world to take a side...and due to the mishandling of words by the current President of the United States will force China to side with Russia. Only time will tell.

My President & What I Can Do Moving Forward

As I sit here listening to the commentators discuss President Obama's Final Address to the nation, I am also trying to determine what to do after the weeks, and months, of the 2016 Election cycle. There are so many things to say regarding the Presidential Election of 2016 - I'll name a few that stick out to me: personal, brutal, rewarding, I had planned on writing a little bit about my campaign experience, but I want to take a moment (or two) and say that I am incredibly hurt, but not broken, over the ending of the Presidency of Barack H. Obama.

    This administration has done a lot of good things within the past eight years. For me, one thing stands out is the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which guarantees individuals with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage. This was a monumental achievement. During his tenure, he repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and was a staunch supporter of LGBT rights, including paving the way for not only the overturning of Proposition 8 in California but also the passage of Marriage Equality in all fifty states with the overturning of the Defense of Marriage Act. In addition to those legal victories, he also continued to make history by nominating (and confirming) the first Puerto Rican American woman to sit on the Supreme Court. Speaking of women, during his tenure as President, he nominated and confirmed two women to place on the Supreme Court thus having the most women EVER in the history of our country to sit on the bench. His administration broke racial barriers in many different ways (besides the most important as becoming President): The first African American Attorneys General and after that the first African American woman, Other cabinet positions include Secretaries of Labor, Transportation, and Interior. It is because of these accomplishments, it makes the Obama administration the most diverse in our nation's history.

    His administration was scandal-free while his family led the country with such grace & class. Furthermore, his administration's challenged the country to lead healthier and better lives. President Obama expanded the second amendment rights for gun owners to carry their weapons into national parks - Of which I greatly opposed. His administration gave the green light to the military (mainly Navy Seals) to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice. His economic wit saved the economy from going over the financial brink towards collapse. His administration has reduced the unemployment rate from 7.2% to 4.7% while creating well over 2,400,000 new jobs in multiple sectors of the economy.

    All of these administration accomplishments were done with two of the most obstructive Congresses in modern history. Never in the history of the country has a Congress - mainly with the Senate - not considered a nominee for the Supreme Court; never have they not attempted to balance a budget or work with a sitting president. Simply not patriotic and I would make a strong argument that it is treasonous.

    I am deeply honored to claim Barack Obama as MY President. I have been there with him every step of the way since the summer of 2017. I voted for him twice (in 2008 and again in 2012), also attended BOTH of his inaugurations. I even served in his administration as an intern for the Department of Education. I cannot begin to thank President Obama for all he has done & accomplished.

  

    Now, during the Presidential cycle of 2016, I decided to get involved with the campaign of Hillary Clinton. I was an organizer in Buncombe County, North Carolina - the place I call home. During the campaign I pushed myself in so many ways both professional and personal. Personally, I worked on balancing the struggle of work time versus personal time. [Yes, I'm very dedicated and career-oriented...who knew?] I poured my time, energy, sweat, and blood (think papercuts, lots of them) into the campaign. I staffed events, met Senator Tim Kaine (again - and even shared a drink with him), met both President Clinton as well as his daughter Chelsea. I attended a rally in Charlotte for Hillary Clinton and I somehow made it into the nationwide political ad. I did a "call to action" rally during the final days of the election - which was both thrilling yet intimidating. As with any organizer, I called, knocked, and I did it with the strongest regional team members in the state of North Carolina. Just another reason why...#WestIsBest (and yes, I would like a gradual "wooo" and then silence<---Loved my Regional Organizing Director).

    In the end, multiple things did not line up in our favor. Some of these I've learned to accept and I am able to move on...to an extent. This leads me to where we (collectively Democrats, my generation, my fellow organizers - insert whichever you think is appropriate) go from this point forward. The road will not be easy, but it will be better if we move forward as one as we are stronger together and let those that wish to set our country back feel the burn. (<---See what I did there, Jedi mind trick, us Ravenclaws love using our wit).

    In a little over a week, the United States will inaugurate Donald J. Trump as its forty-fifth president. While I did NOT vote for him, the results "such as they are" have been certified by Congress and the official results nonetheless. Given his lack of moral character, his divisive and controversial language & remarks, he will still be sworn in and there is nothing I can do. He may be the next President of the United States, but he will not now nor will he ever be MY President. I respect the office, but I DO NOT respect the person who will hold it for the next four years as he has failed to gain any respect worthy of the office.

    Now that I think about it, there are a lot of things I can do within the next four years:

  1) I will hold his administration, his Congress and his policies under a watchful eye;

  2) I will organize my county and state party to not back down while building them up;

  3) I will stand up and reach out to those American that his administration will try and silence through unconstitutional laws and overreaching of his corrupt governmental tiny fingers;

  4) I will continue to rebuild my party, so that in 2020, we will have a candidate who will unite all democrats in all areas of the United States;

  5) I will remember the words of My First Lady and know that "when they go low, we go high" and never back down;

  6) I will remain hopeful that we will prevail as a stronger nation because we will hold our leaders accountable and ensure they do their sworn duty to uphold the United States Constitution or they risk being voted out of office;

  7) I will look to the future with a positive notion that history will give us a person who can surpass the accomplishments of President Barack Obama; and finally,

  8) I will be grateful to call myself an Obama Democrat and will make sure that his legacy remains for generations to seek the benefits.

Will you join me? We are stronger together and together, we can believe in we can do great things by moving forward. If anything President Obama has taught me, it is that when you dream big, you can achieve anything. Thank you President Obama, your leadership will be missed and I'll be forever grateful for your Presidency. I will cherish your works and I will do my best to live up to your standards.