WASHINGTON—One of Nathan Simington’s first public actions as an FCC commissioner is to issue a statement about the violence at the Capitol this week.
He condemned that violence and “urged all Americans to work together towards a peaceful transfer of administrative power on Jan. 20, 2021, to President-elect Joe Biden.”
Simington himself grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada. He became a United States citizen and now lives in Virginia.
He is a Republican who was nominated by President Trump and succeeded Michael O’Rielly; he was sworn in on Dec. 14 by Chairman Ajit Pai in a virtual ceremony.
In his statement Simington said he “embraced the gift of U.S. citizenship—a choice made in appreciation for the traditions of vigorous, peaceful engagement that have characterized the nation’s 230 years of constitutional governance.”
“I look forward to working in the public interest with my colleagues Commissioners Carr, Rosenworcel and Starks as well as the President-elect’s new nominee,” he wrote.
“Our mandate at the commission is to work for the benefit of all Americans. Should we disagree on some issues, we would do well to remember Thomas Jefferson’s words at the time of another presidential transition, the first in which the administration changed parties: ‘…every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principle.’”
Simington formerly was senior advisor at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. He also served as the senior counsel to wireless company Brightstar.
