FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has cancelled votes on four items that Republicans oppose. Wheeler took the step following a letter from Congressional Republican leaders that requested the FCC hold off on “controversial” measures until the Donald Trump administration takes over.

The set-top box plan – one of the more intriguing FCC proposals for cord cutters – has not yet had a vote scheduled at all. The scrapping of these four other votes makes it pretty clear that we shouldn't expect any action on the set-top box plan in the lame duck period.

The cancelled votes would have considered, among other issues, the FCC's business data services revamp and increased video described programming for the visually impaired.

It's a rough time for liberals, and for anyone who dislikes telecom monopolies or favors net neutrality. However, there's nothing unprecedented about what's happening here. Eight years ago, after Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the 2008 presidential election, House Democrats made the same request of the Bush-era FCC, and got the same result.

The FCC will start making big decisions again once Trump is in office. Republican Ajit Pai, one of the five current commissioners, is the best bet to be the next Chairman.