FCC deletes “independent agency” from website as Carr defends allegiance to Trump

In a heated Senate hearing, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr encountered significant criticism regarding his earlier threats to revoke the licenses of ABC stations following remarks made by comedian Jimmy Kimmel. While the majority of the backlash came from Democratic senators, even Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) suggested that Congress should take action to limit the FCC's authority to intimidate news broadcasters. The hearing prompted the FCC to remove a statement from its website that had characterized the agency as independent. Carr, who has aligned himself with President Trump’s stance that independent agencies should not function autonomously from the executive branch, seemed unaware that the FCC still presented itself as such online. When Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) pressed Carr on whether the FCC is an independent agency, Carr openly admitted that it is not, contradicting the website’s earlier assertion that the FCC is an "independent U.S. government agency overseen by Congress." Luján pointed out the discrepancy between Carr's statement and the information on the FCC's website, asking, "Is your website wrong, is your website lying?" Carr's response was revealing: "Possibly. The FCC is not an independent agency.” Following this exchange, the agency quickly removed the claim of independence from its site. Previously, Carr had asserted the necessity for the FCC to maintain independence during the Biden administration, accusing the president of exerting undue pressure on the agency. He explained his shift in perspective, stating that current legal dynamics, particularly regarding a case involving the Federal Trade Commission, have led him to conclude that the FCC lacks independence due to the president's authority to remove any commissioner at will. "The president can remove any member of the commission for any reason or no reason," Carr clarified, indicating a significant shift in the agency's operational ethos amidst ongoing legal developments.