If there’s one agency drowning in its own regulatory self-importance and formerly entangled in censorship, it’s the FCC.
In an op-ed for the Daily Caller, FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington delivered the expected bombshell: the FCC desperately needed a “DOGE-style reform.” The commissioner and his Chief of Staff Gavin Wax called the censorship-embroiled agency outdated and wasteful.
It did not take long before DOGE stepped in, with FCC Chair Brendan Carr announcing on X Wednesday that the agency had cut more than $567 million in authorized contract spending based on an initial review alone. Carr credited both the FCC and DOGE teams for the massive cuts.
“On my watch, the FCC is focused on delivering great results for the country and doing so in an efficient manner,” Carr said in a statement. “That starts with being good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
The $567 million cut marks a sharp break from the FCC’s past, particularly under a Biden administration that assaulted free speech. Now, under the Trump administration and Carr’s leadership, the FCC is not only cutting waste but also investigating Big Tech for censoring Americans—an issue the Biden administration not only ignored for years, but actively encouraged and participated in.
Simington’s op-ed painted a harrowing picture of what the Biden administration did to the agency.
“From redundant enforcement structures to legacy programs that drain resources with little oversight, the Commission is entangled by outdated practices that burden consumers, broadcasters, and taxpayers alike,” Simington and Wax wrote. “If we are serious about restoring trust in government and making our communications infrastructure more responsive, transparent, and cost-effective, we must start by taking a hard look inward.”
Simington and Wax shared a few recommendations for the government to implement at the agency, including reducing the “significantly overstaffed” Media Bureau—which regulates the sinking ship of traditional broadcast media and has, according to the op-ed, engaged in censorship.
“Rather than confining itself to its core statutory mission of overseeing physical transmission infrastructure, the Bureau has strayed into content regulation and competition policy, particularly in areas that arguably fall outside the FCC’s legal mandate,” they warned.
Simington and Wax decried the fact that the Media Bureau had “imposed mounting compliance costs on local broadcasters and chilled competition—especially among smaller and politically diverse outlets.” They said right-leaning broadcasters “appear to face disproportionately aggressive scrutiny compared to their left-of-center counterparts.”
The FCC officials criticized the imbalance in FCC oversight, noting that while streaming platforms and digital content providers face minimal regulation, broadcast media remain heavily burdened.
“This mismatch has fueled both regulatory overreach and unnecessary friction with industry participants,” Simington and Wax wrote, suggesting the reassignment of Media Bureau staff to other departments.
Related: FCC’s Brendan Carr Launches New Big Tech-NewsGuard Probe, Cites MRC Study
The authors also aimed at the Universal Service Fund, which they said raises phone bills to fund outdated services like Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) that rely on error-prone Communications Assistants. They called for a shift to automatic speech recognition.
Simington and Wax also urged DOGE to help modernize the Universal Service Fund (USF) model to ensure investments are directed toward more effective, up-to-date technologies that actually reach users. “Reforming USF to reflect these realities is long overdue and would align with DOGE’s mission of smarter, leaner government,” they added.
One final solution is streamlining FCC licensing through an automated process: “This isn’t just a cost-saving measure; it’s a way to foster growth in sectors like spectrum, satellite, and wireless communications without compromising regulatory integrity.”
Simington and Wax wrapped up their remarks with a powerful plea, calling the proposed recommendations “not partisan ideas.” They concluded:
“Americans of all backgrounds are tired of bloated agencies that act without oversight, charge without explanation, and enforce without due process.
“President Trump has made clear that federal agencies must return to their constitutional lanes. That means cutting the fat, shedding unnecessary programs, and prioritizing service to the people—not to entrenched bureaucracies. The FCC, like every other agency, must meet the moment.”
Conservatives are under attack! Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
