Trump Nominates Danielle Thumann Severs To Fill Vacant FCC Seat

Donald Trump has nominated Danielle Thumann Severs, senior counsel to FCC chairman Brendan Carr, to fill one of two vacancies on the commission. If confirmed by the Senate, Severs would serve a term of five years, retroactive to the time of the vacancy, July 1, 2024. Her confirmation also would mean three Republicans would be on the commission, the minimum number for a quorum. No more than three members of the same party can serve on the FCC. The sole Democrat on the commission is Anna Gomez. Her term expired on July 1, but she can continue to serve until a successor is confirmed or until the end of the next session of Congress. But there also is the prospect that, if there is a quorum of three Republicans, Trump will move to fire her, as he has ousted the two Democrats on the Federal Trade Commission. At the FCC, Thumann Severs’ focus has been on the agency’s wireline bureau, public safety and homeland security bureau and the consumer and government affairs bureau. She worked as legal adviser to Carr from March 2021 to July 2023 and, after working in government relations for telecommunications company Crown Castle, returned to Carr’s office in August 2024. Watch on Deadline Carr wrote on X, “Danielle is a dedicated public servant and has consistently delivered policy wins from bridging the digital divide and protecting consumers to advancing public safety.”