Jessica Rosenworcel. Photo: FCC

The Senate voted 68-31 on Tuesday confirming Jessica Rosenworcel as FCC chair. Rosenworcel is the first woman to hold the position and is now confirmed for a five-year term. 

The Satellite Industry Association applauded the confirmation: “As a spectrum policy champion, Chairwoman Rosenworcel is an advocate for bridging the digital divide by providing reliable broadband connectivity to all Americans. SIA and its members look forward to continuing to work with her and the entire FCC to extend the availability of satellite high speed connectivity and all space-based services provided by commercial satellites,” Tom Stroup, president of SIA said in a statement. 

The Senate confirmation comes after President Joe Biden formally nominated Rosenworcel in October, after taking a much longer time than his predecessors to put forward a nomination. Rosenworcel has been serving as acting commissioner since the inauguration. 

Rosenworcel said in a statement that her confirmation is a “tremendous honor.” 

“People across the country count on the FCC to support the connections they need for work, learning, healthcare, and access to the information we require to make decisions about our lives, our communities, and our country,” Rosenworcel said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the administration, my colleagues on the commission and FCC staff, members of Congress, and the public to make the promise of modern communications a reality for everyone, everywhere.” 

Both Republican FCC Commissioners, Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington congratulated Rosenworcel on her confirmation, and applauded bipartisan work the FCC has accomplished. 

“Under her leadership, the FCC has taken significant steps towards eliminating the digital divide, increasing support for telehealth services, and enhancing the security of America’s communications networks,” Carr said in a statement. 

Yet the FCC is still deadlocked, with two Democrats — Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, and two Republicans Carr and Simington. 

Biden has nominated Democrat Gigi Sohn, former counselor to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler for the open seat. Sohn is awaiting Senate confirmation but faces opposition from Republicans and some Democrats as well. She recently faced questions about previous tweets about Fox News and work with streaming service Locast in a recent confirmation hearing.