Senate Confirms 3 to Federal Election Commission, Restoring a Full Slate

December 10, 2020by Kate Ackley, CQ-Roll Call (TNS)
Senate Confirms 3 to Federal Election Commission, Restoring a Full Slate

WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed three new commissioners to the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, giving the campaign finance regulator a full slate of six members for the first time since February 2017.

Senators voted 92-4 to confirm Shana M. Broussard, who will be the agency’s first Black commissioner in its 45-year history. They approved Sean J. Cooksey by a vote of 50-46 and Allen Dickerson 49-47, along party lines.

The confirmations will mark a major shift at the hobbled agency, which did not have the requisite four commissioners to even meet for most of the 2020 campaign. The commission could accept and publish disclosure reports and prod candidates and committees to fix routine errors, but it could not take enforcement actions for violations without a quorum.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Broussard’s home state of Louisiana, tweeted congratulations to her after the vote. “I’m confident Ms. Broussard will serve with integrity,” he added.

Rules and Administration Chairman Roy Blunt, whose committee approved the nominees last week, said the FEC “plays a critical role in ensuring the integrity of our campaign finance system.”

“With all six commissioners in place, the FEC will be stable, politically balanced, and able to fulfill its most important functions,” Blunt, R- Mo., said.

The agency is designed to have three Republican and three Democratic picks at the helm. Broussard currently serves as counsel to FEC Commissioner Steven Walther, who considers himself an independent but was chosen by Democrats.

The other two commissioners confirmed Wednesday are Republicans: Cooksey served as general counsel to Sen. Josh Hawley, R- Mo., and Dickerson was legal director of the Institute for Free Speech, which favors deregulation of campaign finance.

When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed a motion to end debate on the three nominations Monday, current commissioner Ellen Weintraub tweeted that it was a big step forward “in getting the @FEC back to business!”

The three new commissioners will join Weintraub and Walther, who are both serving on expired terms, and Republican James “Trey” Trainor III, who was confirmed in May and serves as the chairman. After Trainor arrived, the FEC briefly had four commissioners, but then Caroline Hunter headed for the exit in July, leaving the agency again with just three.

Outside groups that monitor campaign finance matters said they had problems with the two GOP nominees.

“After being sidelined for the majority of the 2020 election because it lacked the quorum necessary to conduct most official business, it’s good news that the FEC can get back to work and begin addressing the hundreds of enforcement matters on its docket,” Meredith McGehee, executive director of the campaign finance overhaul group, said in a statement. “However, for the FEC to be an effective watchdog, it needs to not only have a quorum of commissioners but a critical mass of commissioners who are dedicated to upholding our nation’s campaign finance laws.”

She added that the two GOP picks were “likely to put their own personal ideologies over their responsibilities to enforce the letter — and the spirit — of the law.”

___

(c)2020 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

A+
a-
  • confirmation
  • elections
  • Federal Trade Commission
  • U.S. Senate
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Elections

    Republican Vince Fong Advances to Runoff to Complete Term of ex-House Speaker McCarthy

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Republican state Legislator Vince Fong advanced to a May election in California to decide who will... Read More

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Republican state Legislator Vince Fong advanced to a May election in California to decide who will complete the remainder of the term of deposed former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which runs through January. It was not yet clear Tuesday night who will... Read More

    Tuesday's Primaries Include Key Senate Race in Ohio and Clues for Biden-Trump Rematch

    NEW YORK (AP) — Five states will hold presidential primaries on Tuesday as President Joe Biden and former President Donald... Read More

    NEW YORK (AP) — Five states will hold presidential primaries on Tuesday as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump continue to lock up support around the country after becoming their parties’ presumptive nominees. Trump is expected to easily win GOP primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois,... Read More

    Climate, a Major Separator for Biden and Trump, Is a Dividing Line in Many Other Races

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The race for the White House isn’t the only one with big stakes for climate policy.... Read More

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The race for the White House isn’t the only one with big stakes for climate policy. In campaigns for Congress and for governor around the country, candidates are talking about how green the grid should be, too. Voters are increasingly feeling the impacts... Read More

    Fake Images Made to Show Trump With Black Supporters Highlight Concerns Around AI and Elections

    WASHINGTON (AP) — At first glance, images circulating online showing former President Donald Trump surrounded by groups of Black people... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — At first glance, images circulating online showing former President Donald Trump surrounded by groups of Black people smiling and laughing seem nothing out of the ordinary, but a look closer is telling. Odd lighting and too-perfect details provide clues to the fact they... Read More

    February 29, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    White House Steps Up Effort to Get Voting Information to the Public

    WASHINGTON — Emails, new signage and three “national days of action” are all part of a stepped up effort by... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Emails, new signage and three “national days of action” are all part of a stepped up effort by the Biden-Harris administration to ensure voters know their rights and are able to participate in 2024 elections. The initiatives are part of the administration’s ongoing effort... Read More

    February 29, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Cornel West Secures Spot on South Carolina Ballot for November

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Dr. Cornel West, who is waging an independent campaign for the presidency under the banner of his... Read More

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Dr. Cornel West, who is waging an independent campaign for the presidency under the banner of his Justice for All Party, has secured a spot on the November ballot in South Carolina. West, the Dietrich Bonhoeffer professor of Philosophy and Christian practice at... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top