Grassley to lift block on FCC nominees amid LightSquared tangle [telecom]

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Grassley to lift block on FCC nominees amid LightSquared tangle

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said he plans to stop blocking confirmation of two Federal Communications Commission nominees caught in the middle of his investigation into the agency's handling of satellite venture LightSquared.

In a harshly worded statement, Grassley, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the FCC appears to have shown preference to the private firm. He said the company benefited from regulatory decisions by the FCC because its business supported the agency's quest to bring more broadband Internet to rural areas.