“Since he pays the licensing fee, they actually do not have a say.”
I remember reading this same thing at Ace of Spades recently (but not like super recently but it was about this same issue).
So, how does it work, you’re the artist and you say “ok, you can use my recording as long as you pay this fee to ASCAP who will send it to me an whoever else gets a piece of it” and at that point ANYONE who pays the money can legally use your song?