FCC chair scrubs website after learning it called FCC an βindependent agencyβ
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr today faced blistering criticism in a Senate hearing for his September threats to revoke ABC station licenses over comments made by Jimmy Kimmel. While Democrats provided nearly all the criticism, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said that Congress should act to restrict the FCCβs power to intimidate news broadcasters.
As an immediate result of todayβs hearing, the FCC removed a statement from its website that said it is an independent agency. Carr, who has embraced President Trumpβs declaration that independent agencies may no longer operate independently from the White House, apparently didnβt realize that the website still called the FCC an independent agency.
βYes or no, is the FCC an independent agency?β Sen. Ben Ray LujΓ‘n (D-N.M.) asked. Carr answered that the FCC is not independent, prompting LujΓ‘n to point to a statement on the FCC website calling the FCC βan independent US government agency overseen by Congress.β


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