Republicans in Congress have urged the Federal Communications Commission to avoid passing any controversial regulations between now and Donald Trump's inauguration as president. If FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler complies with the request, it could prevent passage of rules designed to help cable customers avoid set-top box rental fees—and any other controversial changes.

"Leadership of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will soon change," Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, wrote to Wheeler yesterday. "Congressional oversight of the execution of our nation's communications policies will continue. Any action taken by the FCC following November 8, 2016, will receive particular scrutiny. I strongly urge the FCC to avoid directing its attention and resources in the coming months to complex, partisan, or otherwise controversial items that the new Congress and new Administration will have an interest in reviewing."

Thune's office said that Democrats made a similar request of the FCC in December 2008 when the presidency was about to change from Republican to Democratic control, and "the FCC complied with the request."

A similar letter to Wheeler was also sent by US Reps. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Greg Walden (R-Ore.), leaders of the House Commerce Committee and Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, respectively. Upton and Walden urged the commission to focus on an ongoing spectrum auction that will shift airwaves from TV broadcasters to wireless carriers.

"As Rep. Henry Waxman and Senator Jay Rockefeller noted during the 2008 Presidential transition, it would be counterproductive for the FCC to consider complex and controversial items that the new Congress and new Administration will have an interest in reviewing," Upton and Walden wrote. "We strongly urge you to concentrate the Commission's attention and resources only on matters that require action under the law and efforts to foster the success of the broadcast incentive auction."

Wheeler's office has received the letters and is reviewing them, an FCC spokesperson told Ars. Trump will be inaugurated on January 20, 2017.

The FCC is scheduled to meet tomorrow. The agenda includes votes on price caps for “special access” business data services; Universal Service funding to expand mobile broadband networks; wireless roaming obligations; and requirements for audio description of TV programming for blind and visually impaired people.

Republican FCC Commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O'Rielly both urged Wheeler to obey the lawmakers' request. Pai said he hopes Wheeler "honors the wishes of our congressional leaders, including by withdrawing the four major items on the November meeting agenda." O'Rielly said he "expect[s] that Chairman Wheeler will honor [the lawmakers'] request.”

Once he is president, Trump will be able to appoint a new FCC chairperson. There may be a 2-2 split between Republicans and Democrats for a while, but at some point in 2017 Republicans should take a 3-2 majority.

As we've previously written, regulations passed at the end of Wheeler's tenure are especially vulnerable to being overturned by Republicans. This could spell doom for set-top box rules, which would require pay-TV operators to make video applications for third-party devices, potentially letting customers watch TV without renting a cable box. Even before Trump won the election, Wheeler had been unable to secure enough votes for the proposal. The FCC's Democratic majority had pledged to "resolve the remaining technical and legal issues" in September, but time is running out.

Once Republicans obtain a majority, they could start working on dismantling net neutrality rules and other regulations passed under Wheeler.