U.S. Senate panel votes to approve Trump FCC nominee

Dec 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee voted on Wednesday to approve the nomination of a senior Trump administration official involved in an effort to seek new social media regulations to a seat on the Federal Communications Commission.

Nathan Simington, a Commerce Department official, was approved on a 14-12 vote as President Donald Trump has railed against social media companies and continued to demand the repeal of a key social media protection known as Section 230. It is not clear when the full U.S. Senate may take up the nomination. If approved, the FCC could initially be deadlocked 2-2 when President-elect Joe Biden takes office next month. (Reporting by David Shepardson )