The U.S. Senate this week confirmed the nominations of Tom Wheeler as FCC Chairman and Mike O'Rielly as FCC Commissioner, bringing the commission back to full strength for the first time in several months.Wheeler is a venture capitalist and former telecommunications industry lobbyist. In the 1970s and 80s, he was CEO of the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) and president of the National Cable Television Association. A Democrat, he was nominated by President Obama in April to succeed Julius Genachowski as FCC Chairman.
Mike O'Rielly fills the Republican vacancy created by the resignation of Commissioner Robert McDowell last spring. O'Rielly has been an advisor to U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the Senate's Minority Whip.
