Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repeated his remarks in Romanian Thursday in a jab at Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez during the agency’s monthly open meeting of commissioners.
Gomez has a habit of repeating her remarks in Spanish during meetings, which some viewed as wasting time and labor, Joe Verde, a former Simington staffer, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. The agenda for the meeting included regaining authority to auction off parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
READ: A Critical Look At The Credit Card Competition Act: Potential Harm To Florida’s Economy
“I’m pleased that the commission is back in business, so to speak. This proceeding represents the kind of thinking that has lately been missing from the commission: A practical, results-oriented action… repurposing existing commercial brands to increase spectral efficiency is one key way to address it,” Simington said. “There are others, of course, and I am counting on the good offices of Congress and the NTIA [National Telecommunications and Information Administration] to help us get there. Yet, in the meantime, it’s fair to say that, yeah, I’m thinking we’re back. This item has my support. And now, my remarks in Romanian.”
Simington proceeded to repeat his speech in Romanian, taking a minute and six seconds to deliver the remarks that took all of 30 seconds to deliver in English, forcing an American Sign Language interpreter to stand by.
“I wasn’t sure that was at an end, but thank you very much,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said before turning to Gomez.
READ: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Unveils Plan To Slash Regulations, Boost Economy
“That was super-cool,” Gomez responded to laughter from other commissioners, before adding, “As we would say in Spanish, y tu mamá también [and your mom, too].”
Gomez did not repeat her remarks in Spanish during the Thursday meeting before Simington spoke, but she did deliver remarks in Spanish later in the meeting after speaking in English.
According to his official biography, President Donald Trump appointed Simington to the FCC in 2020 after he served with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Verde told DCNF that he was known to avoid attending diversity events held by other members of the commission.
READ: Border Czar Tom Homan Fires Back At Boston Mayor On ‘Mischaracterization’ Of Immigrants In Community
Gomez was confirmed by the Senate in September 2023 and appointed to the commission. According to her biography, she previously served for 12 years at the FCC in various capacities and was deputy director of NTIA during the Obama administration.
“Simington’s actions today shed a light on how ridiculous it is that Gomez has continued this posture of reciting a speech she already spoke,” Verde said.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.