Senate Democrats escalated their challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's aggressive licensing action against ABC on Thursday, demanding that chair Brendan Carr reverse an order forcing the network to renew its television licenses years ahead of schedule.
In a letter signed by Senators Edward Markey, Chuck Schumer, Maria Cantwell, and Ben Ray Luján, along with eight additional lawmakers, the group characterized the early renewal requirement as an unconstitutional power grab. ABC's eight station licenses were not scheduled for renewal before 2028 at the earliest and 2031 at the latest, but the FCC now requires the network to file applications by the end of May.
The timing of the action drew immediate suspicion. Carr announced the early renewal order just a day after President Trump and his wife publicly attacked Jimmy Kimmel over a late-night joke, calling for the comedian's firing. Carr attributed the licensing demand to an ongoing FCC investigation into ABC parent company Disney's diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, but the proximity to the presidential criticism fueled Democratic concerns about political retaliation.
"The campaign against Disney and its editorial decision-making, culminating in last week's early-renewal order, is an egregious abuse of power and a clear violation of the First Amendment," the senators wrote. They accused Carr of weaponizing the FCC's regulatory authority "as a cudgel against broadcasters whose editorial choices displease the President."
The letter directly challenged Carr's assertion that external pressure played no role in the decision. At an FCC meeting last week, Carr insisted the agency acted independently, saying "This was a decision that we made inside this building based on where we were in the enforcement matter." The Democrats demanded answers by May 21, asking Carr to detail the timing and legal process behind the order, confirm whether FCC lawyers reviewed it, and disclose any White House communications preceding the announcement.
The FCC has two other open investigations into ABC operations. One concerns the network's moderation of a 2024 presidential debate, while another probes whether the daytime show "The View" violated equal time rules by hosting James Talarico, a state Senate candidate.
The senators also pressed Carr on whether the agency considered less aggressive enforcement alternatives before issuing an order that breaks with standard regulatory practice. The early license renewal demand represents an extraordinary step in FCC enforcement, typically reserved for cases involving serious violations or public safety concerns, not editorial disagreements.
Author James Rodriguez: "Carr is running the FCC like a Trump loyalty operation, and Democrats are right to call it out, but the real question is whether any of this actually slows him down."
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