Post

I get that the Trump White House has decided that Congress is a vestigial organ, but I think there should be more coverage of the fact that Brendan Carr just up and said "yes, Congress put a 39% cap on media ownership, but I think I can ignore it for reasons."

Techdirt@techdirt.com

Brendan Carr’s FCC Rewrites Media Ownership Law Only Congress Can Actually Change There are many ways to describe the Trump Era, but the executive branch's conviction that it... https://www.techdirt.com/2026/08/07/brendan-carrs-fcc-rewrites-media-ownership-law-only-congress-can-actually-change/

techdirt.comBrendan Carr’s FCC Rewrites Media Ownership Law Only Congress Can Actually ChangeThere are many ways to describe the Trump Era, but the executive branch's conviction that it can simply ignore the legislative branch's entire existence has become something close to a governing principle. From impounding funds designated by Congress to launching a war without Congress's authority, Trump has basically decided that the legislative branch is a...

7/8/26, 6:56 pm507 reposts1.4K likes

JauntyWunderKind

@jauntywunderkind.bsky.social

11 Aug

#HostisHumaniGeneris. A grand foe to the government to the people to democracy, and here, taking over the airwaves to be a broader enemy to reality itself. To spread more lies and bedlam and din.

Ira 'Bluebeard Homer' Goldman

@kdbyproxy.bsky.social

7 Aug

As it happens, when I was a Senate staffer, I spent chunks of time working to block/bend things the FCC was trying to do – eg, via the Appropriations Cmte amendment described here. Never did the Commission try something like what Carr is trying, but the blocking means could be the same. 1/

Ira 'Bluebeard Homer' Goldman

@kdbyproxy.bsky.social

7 Aug

And so if Cruz – as noted in your piece, the Commerce Cmte chair – really opposes Carr on the ownership cap and wants to do something about it… and if a call or a letter from him doesn't work… he could try a rider. He might need 60 votes for it, but that might be doable. (that Senate provision… 2/

Ira 'Bluebeard Homer' Goldman

@kdbyproxy.bsky.social

7 Aug

… in 1984 was enough, just by clearing the Senate, to get the Commission to hold off, and a compromise was eventually reached) Frankly, Cruz and cmte members should want to step if only to defend their honor – though Senate honor-defending seems these days to have become not much of a thing. 3/

Ira 'Bluebeard Homer' Goldman

@kdbyproxy.bsky.social

7 Aug

UPDATE: As the Commerce Committee is on this list, that would offer Ted Cruz (or anyone on Commerce) an opportunity in committee to offer an amendment to block the FCC from moving on Carr's station ownership proposal.

Mike Masnick

@masnick.com

7 Aug

That piece also includes multiple examples of the very same Brendan Carr — when Biden was President — absolutely losing his mind when anyone suggested the FCC could do anything without Congress' explicit approval.

Godspeed You! Woke Moralists

@dashwallkick.bsky.social

7 Aug

just lie and do whatever you want and schumer will waddle out like a turtle and complain about cloture

Alana Purdy’s Husband ⁂

@tynanpurdy.com

7 Aug

brendan carr is a DUMMY hes such a dummy!

Jim Steele

@jimsteele.bsky.social

7 Aug

Huh. And here I thought that SCOTUS ruled last term that agencies couldn't make these sorts of decisions without Congress or the courts deciding. Make up your mind, hypocrites.

Kevin

@tam-lin.bsky.social

7 Aug

Agreed. Baffled that this keeps getting covered as “FCC changes ownership cap.” Although I do have to admit the rules lawyer/computer programmer in me really respects their argument.

andy jabbour

@andyjabbour.bsky.social

7 Aug

Can't wait to see this argument applied more broadly to our 'outdated' Constitution 😑. 'He is saying, out loud, that the FCC can ignore an act of Congress whenever the FCC decides that act has gotten stale — with the FCC, conveniently, being the sole judge of staleness.' 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬