Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced today that she will leave the agency on January 20, 2025, the day of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“Serving at the Federal Communications Commission has been the honor of a lifetime, especially my tenure as chair and as the first woman in history to be confirmed to lead this agency,” Rosenworcel said in today’s announcement. Rosenworcel said that being chair during the pandemic “made clear how important the work of the FCC is and how essential it is for us to build a digital future that works for everyone.”
Rosenworcel touted the agency’s work in “setting up the largest broadband affordability program in history—which led to us connecting more than 23 million households to high-speed Internet, connecting more than 17 million students caught in the homework gap to hotspots and other devices as learning moved online.” That discount program ended this year after Congress let funding run out, despite Rosenworcel’s repeated pleas for more money.
Rosenworcel, a Democrat, is following tradition, as the FCC chair typically resigns when the opposing party wins the White House. The move will leave the FCC with two Democrats and two Republicans, paving the way for the GOP to add one member and gain a 3–2 majority.
FCC had 2-2 deadlock for most of Biden’s term
Rosenworcel became an FCC commissioner in 2012 and was promoted to chair by President Biden in 2021. She was forced to operate without a Democratic majority for most of her time as chair due to a series of political developments.