There may not be a lot going on in Washington, thanks to a partial government shutdown. But, there’s plenty of activity still taking place on Capitol Hill.
On Wednesday, South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune officially passed the gavel to his successor as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation — the committee in the upper body of Congress that oversees the FCC.
Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican Senator from Mississippi, is now in charge of the powerful Senate body.
Wicker thanked his colleagues for their support in electing him chairman, and also saluted Thune “for his exemplary leadership these past four years.”
Wicker said, “The chairmanship is a great responsibility given the committee’s broad jurisdiction across diverse sectors of our economy.”
He will serve alongside a new Ranking Member, Washington Senator Maria Cantwell.
Wicker has represented Mississippi in the Senate since December 2007. During his time in the Senate, Wicker has championed “pro-growth policies” — and to “limit federal overreach.”
This means that Wicker and the FCC’s GOP leadership are likely in lock-step regarding the implementation of a “light-touch” approach to regulatory policy.
Wicker is also committed to maintaining “a strong national defense” — a central argument for a strong border between the U.S. and Mexico.
Wicker previously served as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet in the Senate, in a role equivalent to that of now-Senator Marsha Blackburn in the House.
Wicker is also a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. His other committee assignments include the Environment and Public Works Committee; the Rules and Administration Committee; and the Joint Committee on Printing.
Further, Wicker is the chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and Vice President of the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly. Wicker also serves as a member of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Congressional Board of Visitors.
He’s the co-founder of the Senate Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease Caucus and has worked to eliminate these preventable diseases.
Prior to his service in the Senate, Wicker was elected seven times, beginning in 1994, to represent Mississippi’s First Congressional District in the House of Representatives.
“I congratulate Sen. Wicker on his election as chairman of the Commerce Committee by our Republican committee colleagues,” said Thune. “As a longtime member and the leader of our communications and technology subcommittee, he is poised for a successful tenure as chairman. It has been a great honor to lead the committee for the past four years and I’m proud of the work we have done to pass bipartisan legislation for nearly every federal transportation agency, as well as setting policy impacting science, technology, and our environment. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support over the past four years, and I look forward to continue serving alongside them as a member of the committee.”
What’s Thune’s next role? He’s been tapped to serve as the Majority Whip for the 116th Congress, precluding him from continuing in his role as committee chairman.
Thune was first elected chairman of the committee in the 114th Congress. Prior to that, he served as the committee’s ranking minority member for two years.
