President Trump has made Ajit Pai the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, following Tom Wheeler’s departure last Friday.
Pai had previously served as a Republican member of the FCC before he was chosen to lead the agency under the next administration.
“This afternoon, I was informed that [President Trump] designated me the 34th chairman of the FCC. It is a deeply humbling honor,” he tweeted Monday afternoon, adding in a statement that he intends to “bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans.”
Before joining the FCC in 2012, Pai served as associate general counsel of Verizon Communications Inc. and as a staffer in the Senate and Justice Department. He and Trump had met at Trump Tower earlier this month.
Pai has been a steadfast critic of Democrat-led efforts to regulate the internet and is a notable opponent of net neutrality.
Former FCC chairman Michael Copps praised Pai’s appointment, while offering the incoming agency head a dose of advice.
“I encourage the new chairman to take the commission outside of Washington, so commissioners can meet with and hear from the people who live with the policies they make,” Copps said in a statement. “I am totally convinced the majority of Americans, including many who voted for the new president, strongly favor an open internet and a media ecosystem that is up to the task of informing democracy.”
