Senators Generally Satisfied With Wheeler's Answers At Hearing

During a wide-ranging confirmation hearing this afternoon, members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee generally appeared satisfied with responses from FCC nominee Tom Wheeler regarding his views on everything from the E-rate program and the planned incentive auction to retransmission consent negotiations, the sports blackout rule, and indecency.

The most strongly worded challenge to Mr. Wheeler came from Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas), who asked for the nominee's views on the possibility of the FCC regulating political speech by attempting to implement through regulation some of the provisions of a failed bill from the last Congress, known as the DISCLOSE Act, which would have required companies and other entities to disclose election-related spending.

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