WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has announced that a committee hearing on Sept. 17 will consider the nomination of Danielle Thumann Severs to become a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission.
Thumann Severs was nominated by President Trump in August as a Republican to be a FCC Commissioner for a term of five years running from July 1, 2024.
If confirmed, she would be replacing a seat left vacant since Republican Nathan Simington resigned in July of 2025 and would give the Republicans a 3-1 majority on the Commission.
President Trump has not nominated a Democrat to replace Geoffrey Starks, who also left in July of 2025 even though it is traditional for Republican and Democratic nominees to be considered together.
Recently, a coalition of 12 communications industry, broadband, and public safety organizations that included NATE, NCTA and NTCA has sent a letter to the Senate Committee Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell backing the nomination.
The letter applauded her experience in issues handled by the FCC. Thumann Severs has served two tours in the FCC Chairman’s office, first as a Legal Advisor beginning in 2021 and now as Senior Counsel, with a policy portfolio spanning the Wireline Competition Bureau, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, and the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.
