Assertion from Sohn:

Final night time after discussions with my household and cautious consideration, I made the choice to ask President Biden to withdraw my nomination to the Federal Communications Fee. After I accepted his nomination over sixteen months in the past, I couldn’t have imagined that legions of cable and media trade lobbyists, their bought-and-paid-for surrogates, and darkish cash political teams with bottomless pockets would distort my over 30-year historical past as a client advocate into an absurd caricature of blatant lies. The unrelenting, dishonest and merciless assaults on my character and my profession as an advocate for the general public curiosity have taken an infinite toll on me and my household.

Sadly, the American individuals are the true losers right here. The FCC impasse, now over two years lengthy, will stay so for a very long time. As somebody who has advocated for my total profession for inexpensive, accessible broadband for each American, it’s ironic that the 2-2 FCC will stay sidelined on the most consequential alternative for broadband in our lifetimes. Which means that your broadband will likely be dearer for lack of competitors, minority and underrepresented voices will likely be marginalized, and your personal data will proceed for use and offered on the whim of your broadband supplier. It signifies that the FCC won’t have a majority to undertake robust guidelines which be certain that everybody has nondiscriminatory entry to broadband, no matter who they’re or the place they reside, and that low revenue college students will proceed to be pressured to do their college work sitting outdoors of Taco Bell as a result of common service funds can’t be used for broadband of their properties. And it signifies that many rural Individuals will proceed the lengthy anticipate broadband as a result of the FCC can’t repair its Common Service packages.

It’s a unhappy day for our nation and our democracy when dominant industries, with help from limitless darkish cash, get to decide on their regulators. And with the assistance of their buddies within the Senate, the highly effective cable and media firms have finished simply that.

I wish to thank President Biden for his religion in me and for my champions within the Senate who defended me at each flip. I particularly wish to thank the handfuls of people that volunteered their time and power to assist me by way of this course of, in addition to the over 400 organizations, firms and commerce associations, and a whole bunch of hundreds of people who registered their help with the Senate. I’ll ceaselessly be thankful for their efforts on my behalf.

I hope the President swiftly nominates a person who places the American folks first over all different pursuits. The nation deserves nothing much less.