The FCC removed wording that called it an "independent agency" shortly after a heated exchange during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing. Sen. Ben Ray Luján pressed Chairman Brendan Carr for a yes-or-no answer; Carr replied that "The FCC is not" an independent agency. An Axios screenshot shows the site described the FCC as independent at 11:52 a.m. ET; the phrasing was gone by 12:08 p.m. ET.
FCC Scrubs 'Independent Agency' Label From Website Minutes After Heated Senate Exchange
The Federal Communications Commission's official website removed language describing the agency as an "independent agency" just minutes after a tense exchange between FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing.
During the hearing, Luján pressed Carr for a direct answer about the agency's status, demanding a simple "yes or no." When Luján asked, "Is the FCC an independent agency? Yes or no is all we need, sir," Carr initially began a legal explanation but was repeatedly interrupted by Luján, who pointed out the commission's own website language.
"Just so you know, Brendan, on your website it just simply says, man, 'The FCC is independent,'" Luján said. Carr replied, "The FCC is not." When Luján asked whether the website was wrong or "lying," Carr answered, "Possibly."
Axios reporter Sara Fischer captured a screenshot at 11:52 a.m. ET showing the site describing the FCC as independent. By 12:08 p.m. ET, that phrase had been removed and the agency's description was updated to read:
"A U.S. government agency overseen by Congress, the Commission is the federal agency responsible for implementing and enforcing America’s communications law and regulations."
The exchange and the subsequent website edit were recorded on the public record during the hearing and are available via C-SPAN. The quick change drew attention because it came immediately after the public confrontation and because questions about the FCC's degree of independence have long been a subject of legal and political debate.
What Happened
Minutes after an on-the-record back-and-forth in the Senate, the FCC's publicly posted description was revised. Reporters noted the timestamps of the captured screenshot and the later updated page, highlighting how swiftly the site wording changed following the hearing.
Why It Matters
Whether or not an agency is classified as "independent" can shape perceptions about its accountability and the degree of executive influence over its actions. The incident underscores how public-facing language and official descriptions can become focal points in oversight hearings.
Reported by: Mediaite (original report), Axios (screenshot by Sara Fischer). Video of the hearing is available from C-SPAN.
