Along Party Lines, U.S. Senate Votes to Confirm FCC Official to Stall Incoming Administration Priorities ⇥ arstechnica.com

Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica:

The Republican-controlled US Senate today confirmed a Trump nominee to the Federal Communications Commission, ensuring that President-elect Joe Biden’s FCC will be deadlocked at 2-2 upon his inauguration.

The Senate voted along party lines to confirm Nathan Simington, a Trump administration official who helped draft a petition asking the FCC to make it easier to sue social media companies like Facebook and Twitter. Democrats say he is unqualified for the position.

[…]

Republican senators offered no justification for confirming Simington, a move that is clearly designed to prevent or delay the Biden FCC from pursuing Democratic Party goals such as the restoration of net neutrality rules. FCC Republican Brendan Carr acknowledged that motive in an appearance on Fox Business last week, saying “it would be very valuable to get Simington across the finish line to help forestall” the Democratic agenda.

Preempting good faith governance after an election is a bitter move.