President Bush March 16 designated Kevin Martin, a member of the Federal Communications Commission since July 2001, as chairman of the commission, replacing Michael Powell.
Before joining the commission, Martin was a special assistant to the president for economic policy, and served as deputy general counsel of Bush's 2000 presidential campaign. Earlier in his career, he served as an advisor to FCC Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth and as an associate at the Washington, DC, law firm of Wiley, Rein & Fielding.
Martin's own views of the E-rate program are not well known. In recent years, all five FCC commissioners have generally been supportive of the program, while expressing concerns about the potential for waste, fraud and abuse.
Because Martin was already serving on the commission, Powell's departure will create a Republican vacancy on the commission. Martin's designation as chairman does not require Senate confirmation.
