WASHINGTON - The Federal Communications Commission agreed to renew Channel 9's broadcast license even after the Secaucus-based station jettisoned its daily New Jersey newscast, and U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez want Congress to find out how it happened.

The two Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday asked the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, to look at how the FCC handles license renewals under the 1934 Communications Act.

"We think the most recent decision by the FCC to renew the license for WWOR-TV (licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey) suggests that there are problems with the license renewal process," the senators wrote to the GAO.

Among their concerns: how FCC looks at the needs of the local community in deciding whether to renew a license and how it ensures that broadcasters live up to their obligations under the law to serve the public interest.

Said Erica Keane, a spokeswoman for the Fox Television Stations group: "WWOR-TV fully complied with the Communications Act and the FCC extensive renewal process took over 11 years."

Earlier this month, the lawmakers asked the FCC to reverse its decision to renew the license. The senators said then that Channel 9 "failed to live up to its obligations to the people of New Jersey."

WWOR dropped its local newscast department in 2013 and now airs a program called "Chasing News," which also is seen on Fox-owned WNYW-TV Channel 5 in New York and WTXF-TV Channel 29 in Philadelphia.

Menendez, in particular, has been a long-time critic of Channel 9, which Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. bought in 2001. It now is owned by Murdoch's 21st Century Fox.

In 2013, Menendez sought a "prompt and thorough review" of Channel 9's broadcast license following the cancellation of the evening news program.

Channel 9 moved to Secaucus from New York in 1983 as a condition of its then-owner, RKO, retaining the station's license.

"The WWOR-TV license makes clear - and the FCC has confirmed on multiple occasions - that WWOR has special obligations to serve North Jersey," the senators said.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.