The FCC might soon have its first permanent woman leader. A New York Timessource says President ***** is "expected" to nominate current acting chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to a permanent position as soon as today (October 26th), making her the first female to lead the commission. The nomination wouldn't be a surprising move given her existing title, broad support and alignment with White House policies on issues like net neutrality, but it would still represent a milestone for the agency.
Whether or not Rosenworcel is confirmed is another matter. The Senate must confirm Rosenworcel to make her appointment official, and she could face staunch opposition from Republicans who are both historically anti-regulation and eager to reclaim FCC control. The party could retake the majority in the commission if Rosenworcel and an empty commissioner position aren't confirmed by the end of 2021.
If Rosenworcel is confirmed, though, she would contrast sharply with the last permanent FCC chair, Ajit Pai. While much of Rosenworcel's work as acting chairwoman has focused on easy-to-pass rules on issues like robocalls, she has been a strong proponent of net neutrality and other efforts to keep big telecoms in check. That's largely the opposite of Pai, who dismantled neutrality and generally sided with incumbent telcos. Don't be surprised if Rosenworcel used a permanent appointment to undo more of Pai's work, at least so long as she has the votes.