Hearings

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today announced a paper hearing titled, “Enlisting Big Data in the Fight Against Coronavirus,” on Thursday, April 9, 2020, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The committee and witnesses will submit written statements, questions, and answers to examine recent uses of aggregate and anonymized consumer data to identify potential hotspots of coronavirus transmission and to help accelerate the development of treatments. The committee will also examine how consumers’ privacy rights are being protected and what the U.S. government plans to do with COVID-related data collected at the end of this national emergency.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. in Russell Senate Office Building 253 to consider the following legislative measures and Coast Guard promotions:

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “5G Supply Chain Security: Threats and Solutions,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The hearing will examine the security and integrity of the telecommunications supply chain and efforts to secure networks from exploitation in the transition to 5G. The hearing will also examine the federal government’s role in mitigating risks to telecommunications equipment and services in the U.S. and abroad.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., ranking member of the Subcommittee on Security, will convene a field hearing titled, “Promoting Safe Skies through Scanning and Screening: Oversight of Air Cargo Security,” at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, February 24, 2020. The hearing will examine the oversight of certified cargo screening facilities, screening technology, the efficiency of the global supply chain, and other air cargo security topics at Boston Logan International Airport.

The hearing will examine ongoing issues that surround compensating collegiate athletes for the use of their name, image, and likeness. Witnesses will also discuss the use of third party agents, current definitions of amateurism, and allowable incentives made available to today’s college athletes.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, will convene a hearing titled, “Keep on Truckin’: Stakeholder Perspectives on Trucking in America,” at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 4, 2020. The hearing will examine the state of the trucking industry in the United States, truck safety issues, and the regulatory environment from the stakeholder perspective.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “The 5G Workforce and Obstacles to Broadband Deployment,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 22, 2020. This hearing will examine the skills and training needed among the telecommunications workforce to deploy 5G networks, as well as ongoing efforts within the public and private sectors to address the 5G labor shortage. Witnesses will also discuss regulatory barriers that may impede U.S. leadership in next generation communications technology and efforts to close the digital divide.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Industries of the Future,” immediately following an executive session at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 2020. The hearing will examine how the United States can maintain its global economic edge in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, quantum information science, biotechnology, and developing the next generation of wireless networks and infrastructure.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a nomination hearing on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 to consider the presidential nomination of Thomas Chapman to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board. The hearing will immediately follow the executive session in Dirksen Senate Office Building G50.