The powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee is welcoming a new member of the senior staff for the committee Republicans: A party-aligned Chief Counsel for the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, which directly oversees the FCC.
Taking the role is Kate O’Connor, until now the acting Chief of Staff for the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
House E&C Republican Leader and ex-Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) applauded O’Connor. “I know Kate’s breadth of experience in telecommunications policy will allow her to excel in this new role, and I welcome Kate to the team. The mission remains clear, serve the public well and support the work of our Republican members.”
O’Connor joined NTIA in January 2018 in the Office of Congressional Affairs, where she worked on legislative and communications policy issues. She was promoted to Acting Chief of Staff in July 2019.
She has worked on a variety of legislative proposals affecting spectrum and broadband issues, including the RAY BAUM’S Act and NTIA’s mapping initiative. O’Connor also worked with state government officials and other federal agencies to advance White House initiatives on broadband and 5G.
Prior to joining NTIA, O’Connor worked in the Senate. She began her Senate career working in the office of Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), and then served as legislative assistant for Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), where she handled issues before the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, including telecommunications policy.
