Over the last few years, the FCC has become increasingly untethered, drawing unwelcome scrutiny of its legal obligations as an independent regulatory agency, immune to political pressure from the White House or interest groups.

FORBES: A Strategic Plan for the FCC: The Future Ain't What it Used to Be

We, the United States of America, have an independent regulatory agency whose sole mission is to constantly review and evaluate the safety and security of the reactors in the United States, which provide 20 percent of the electricity that Americans consume.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

At the Council's urging, the Administration has started a regulatory look-back, directing every agency including independent agencies, to determine how they can make their regulations more friendly to small business and more streamlined.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

In 1975, a new independent agency was created, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which was charged with overseeing safety issues.

WSJ: Nuclear Issues Put Focus on Japan Regulators