Senate & FCC Schedule December Hearing

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, has scheduled a full committee hearing for December 17 to conduct oversight of the Federal Communications Commission. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr will testify alongside Commissioners Olivia Trusty and Anna Gomez.

The hearing follows weeks of controversy surrounding Carr’s public comments about ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. Carr faced bipartisan backlash after urging broadcasters to take Kimmel off the air over remarks related to the alleged assassin of Salem Media syndicated host Charlie Kirk. The incident has reignited debate over the FCC’s role in regulating broadcast content under its “public interest” standard.

Committee Democrats, including Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), are expected to question Carr on both the controversy and his broader deregulatory agenda. Cantwell has previously accused Carr of sidestepping congressional oversight and advancing media consolidation that, she argues, undermines competition and localism.

Cruz himself has criticized Carr’s approach to the Kimmel episode, calling it “dangerous as hell” on his Verdict podcast, warning that government interference in broadcast speech “will end up bad for conservatives.” The December hearing is expected to draw sharp exchanges from both sides of the aisle over free speech, media concentration, and the limits of FCC authority.