Many thanks to Geoffrey Manne for this opportunity to memorialize a few thoughts I have about Ajit’s service on the Federal Communications Commission. My remarks will be more about Ajit as a person rather than the substance and long laundry list of his accomplishments as chair. Others will do that, I’m sure.
The first memory I have of meeting Ajit V. Pai reaches back to 2007, after I had served on the commission for about a year. In one of my regular meetings with then-FCC General Counsel Sam Feder, Sam was very proud to introduce me to his new hire. I saw before me an eager and polite young man with a million-watt smile. After reviewing his resume, I immediately recognized that he was already quite accomplished, despite his tender young age: the son of immigrants; hailing from the heart of America as the native of a small town in Kansas; Harvard undergrad with academic distinction; a J.D. from the University of Chicago – also with academic distinction; public service in all three branches of the federal government; and much more.
Wow! “This kid has a very bright future,” I thought. And history proved that, for once, I was right. In fact, Ajit’s appointment to the FCC was one key reason why I decided to step down from the commission before the expiration of my term. But more on that later. As I got to know Ajit more over the years, I learned that he was super bright (not everyone from Harvard is, by the way), exudes a sunny personality and is a principled, common-sense, and compassionate conservative who was dedicated to the rule of law, respecting the wisdom of markets, and serving the public interest.
Like my own Forrest Gump dumb luck in getting to the FCC, Ajit’s path to a seat on the commission came about in part by happenstance. With Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker’s surprise departure in the spring of 2011, a rare opportunity was suddenly created. Also, like my journey to the commission, a blizzard of names swirled about regarding who might be appointed to that seat by President Barack Obama. Ajit’s name was among the least-known when compared to higher-profile candidates. But once he was nominated, I was excited to reach out to him and offer briefings and anything else he needed to help him prepare for the gauntlet of the Senate confirmation process. It was inspiring to attend his confirmation hearing and to see his immigrant parents smiling so proudly at their talented and accomplished son. Little did either one of us know that his confirmation would be held by senators due to an FCC proceeding that had nothing to do with him. (There’s some irony regarding which proceeding that was, but I digress. Ajit will understand.)
So many months passed by while he waited and waited…and waited for the holds to be lifted so he could be confirmed. In fact, his confirmation lingered for so long it was unclear if he would ever be confirmed. I know that was incredibly frustrating for him and his beautiful family. But eventually, providence smiled upon him and he became my colleague on the commission. Largely ignored by the media, Ajit made history by becoming the first Indian-American appointed to the FCC. In fact, he may be the first, or one of very few, commissioners who was a first-generation American. This wonderful accomplishment should have been celebrated more. But I sense the silence regarding the positive ground-breaking that Ajit achieved in this regard bothers me more than him. And that tells you a lot about his virtues; virtues which would serve him well after becoming chairman.
I always ran to work when I was a commissioner for seven years. I loved that job and I licked the plate clean every day. Upon his swearing-in as my colleague, I could tell instantly that Ajit loved his job as much as I loved mine. Not all commissioners love being commissioners, which I could never understand. With how many jobs are you truly independent and able to touch and improve the daily lives of every American? Ajit understood the value of the gift of being a commissioner right away. While he and I were in the minority on the FCC during the Obama administration, the public should know that the majority of FCC votes back then were bipartisan. But there are a few very important votes which are not unanimous, and those of us in the minority have a sacred role to play: that of respectful but passionate dissenter to help inform the public, the appellate courts, Congress, the White House, and future FCCs about the better path as we saw it.
It was clear that “The Kid,” as I once thought of him, could write fantastic dissents. After a few months of witnessing his talents, and after the 2012 elections, I began to think: “The role of Loyal Opposition will be in fine hands if I step down after nearly seven years. Maybe it is time to let ‘The Kid’ write these dang dissents for the next four years, and then I can be released back into my natural habitat: the private sector.” And so, my thought process evolved. Accordingly, May 17, 2013, the day I left office, Ajit V. Pai became the “senior Republican on the FCC.” Little did either one of us know at the time that that move, combined with a surprise election result in 2016, would pave the path for him to become chairman of the FCC.
Ajit and his team accomplished so much in his four years as chairman. I’ll let others enumerate those accomplishments, but I am delighted to see the eye-popping, jaw-dropping and record-smashing success of the C-Band auction serve as a VERY LOUD and beautiful exclamation point on his legacy. Keep in mind that many of the “best and brightest,” including U.S. Senators and two of his FCC colleagues, said the C-Band auction should either never happen or would be more successful if it had been shaped their way. But the markets have spoken, and the C-Band auction has broken a record of success that may not be surpassed for many years. Ajit, his colleagues Mike O’Rielly and Brendan Carr, and his entire team should be very proud of their handiwork.
In closing, I want to take readers briefly backstage with this still-young man. The wind in his sails is his beautiful bride, Janine. That’s Dr. Janine Van Lancker, a highly accomplished physician. Together with their two beautiful children, they have been Ajit’s Rock of Gibraltar, especially in the most trying of times. I won’t dignify the criminals who threatened their lives by going into detail, but no family of a public servant should ever have to endure what they did. Ever. But the trauma that came with serving did not diminish Ajit’s and Janine’s natural inclination to think of others. While I was on my erstwhile COVID-deathbed last March, Ajit graciously texted me, asking about my condition and offering the help and support of his personal physician, his bride Janine. If you remember nothing else about this blog post, please remember that.
Well done, “Kid from Kansans.” Well done. And thank you.