The U.S. Senate voted Dec. 7 to confirm Biden's key telecom pick to her post at America's communications agency.

Jessica Rosenworcel was confirmed for another five-year term with the Federal Communications Commission, just weeks before she would have had to leave her post. The Senate voted 68-31 on the decision, with one senator not voting.

The vote came after the Senate voted Dec. 6 to invoke cloture and end the debate on her nomination. The largely bipartisan outcome of that 64-27 vote signaled strong support for her selection to lead the agency.

A smooth confirmation process was expected. Rosenworcel, who led the FCC as its acting chairwoman since January, has nearly a decade of experience with the agency and has handled a number of its bipartisan priorities such as telehealth and a pandemic-era connectivity subsidy.

With the confirmation vote behind her, Rosenworcel can now focus on more complex and contentious policy issues, such as reinstating net neutrality protections that prohibit broadband service providers like Comcast Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc. from blocking or throttling legal internet traffic or prioritizing certain traffic for payment.

However, in order to pursue more partisan issues a full, five-person commission will be required. The commission currently has a 2-2 split between Republicans and Democrats, but Biden has nominated Gigi Sohn, a progressive broadband advocate, to fill the open seat. Her nomination still awaits approval from the Senate commerce committee to advance.

Sohn's outspoken remarks about FOX News Channel (US) have raised concerns from Republican senators on the commerce committee.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who chairs the committee, told reporters last week that she is hopeful that Sohn's vote will be decided on before the end of the year, though she hinted the vote may follow party lines. Cantwell and others on the committee have also yet to vote on Biden's pick to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Alan Davidson. Both the FCC and NTIA would be responsible for collaborating on headliner topics in the telecom world, notably broadband mapping.