A coalition of prominent Senate Democrats has sent a letter to Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), demanding he rescind an order that requires ABC to apply for early renewal of its television licenses. This order, which mandates that ABC submit its renewal requests by the end of May, is viewed as an extraordinary abuse of power, particularly since the licenses were not due for renewal until 2028 at the earliest and 2031 at the latest. The senators, including Edward J Markey, Chuck Schumer, Maria Cantwell, and Ben Ray Luján, argue that the order is a direct response to political pressures, particularly following a call from the President and First Lady for ABC to fire late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel over a controversial joke. They accuse Carr of using the FCC's authority to target broadcasters whose editorial decisions do not align with the President's preferences. The letter also highlights ongoing investigations into ABC by the FCC, including complaints regarding the network's moderation of a presidential debate and potential violations of equal time rules. The senators have requested a response from Carr by May 21, seeking clarity on the process and timing of the order, and whether there was any communication with the White House prior to its issuance. Carr has denied any external influence, asserting that the decision was made internally at the FCC.