Bloomberg: “The White House withdrew the nomination of Michael O’Rielly, who has expressed doubt about President Donald Trump’s plan to reduce legal protections for social media, for another term at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.”
“The White House announced the action Monday in a notice sent to the Senate, which confirms nominees. The notice didn’t provide a reason for the decision. The FCC has a 3-2 Republican majority, and the vote of O’Rielly, a Republican, could be needed to advance Trump’s initiative. Both of the agency’s Democrats have expressed opposition to the president’s drive to narrow the shield against legal liability for companies such as Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc. ‘The First Amendment protects us from limits on speech imposed by the government — not private actors,’ O’Rielly said in a July 29 speech. ‘I shudder to think of a day in which the Fairness Doctrine could be reincarnated for the internet,’ he said.”