Hearings

WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Chair of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security will convene a hearing titled “Protecting Kids Online: Facebook, Instagram, and Mental Health Harms” at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 30, 2021. Children and teens face immense peer pressure and social expectations to broadcast their lives online. Recent Wall Street Journal investigations have revealed troubling insights regarding what Facebook knows about how Instagram affects young users, including their mental health. This hearing will cover Facebook’s research into the impact of its apps on young audiences, its actions to address threats to these users, and policy considerations to safeguard kids online.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 to consider the presidential nominations of Alexander Hoehn-Saric to be a Commissioner and Chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Mary T. Boyle to be a Commissioner of the CPSC; Richard Trumka, Jr. to be a Commissioner of the CPSC; and Grant Harris to be Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis at the Department of Commerce.

POSTPONED— The Subcommittee on Space and Science field hearing titled “Collaboration and Competition in Space: Ushering in a New Era” originally scheduled for Monday, August 23, 2021 at 2pm MDT in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been postponed until a later date.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chair of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, will convene a hearing titled, “Toxic Marketing Claims and Their Dangers” at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3, 2021. The hearing will address, among other topics, how alleged deceptive marketing practices and claims may have fueled the proliferation of unsafe products among vulnerable populations in the United States, particularly those of e-cigarettes and vaporizers among youth and current smokers looking for cessation tools.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will convene a hearing titled “Pipeline Cybersecurity: Protecting Critical Infrastructure“ at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 27, 2021. The hearing will examine the current state of pipeline cybersecurity and the role that federal regulators play in protecting our nation’s critical infrastructure from malicious actors. This hearing will provide members an opportunity to examine recent actions taken in response to pipeline cyber incidents and gaps in our current oversight and regulatory structure.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Implementing Supply Chain Resiliency” at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 15, 2021. The Department of Commerce (DOC) has an increasingly important role in ensuring the resiliency of the nation’s critical supply chains. These responsibilities stem from directives found in the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act, Biden Executive Order 14017 and its 100-day supply chain review, and potentially from the United States Innovation and Competition Act. The hearing will inform Committee oversight as DOC executes these responsibilities, highlighting critical supply chains such as in the aerospace and semiconductor sectors.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), the Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation will convene a hearing titled, “Aviation Infrastructure for the 21st Century” at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 23, 2021. The hearing will examine the current state of aviation infrastructure in the United States as well as plans for maintaining and modernizing such infrastructure. Assessing aviation infrastructure funding options, the varying airport infrastructure needs by airport size, and analyzing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic aviation infrastructure moving forward will be considered.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled “NCAA Student Athletes and NIL Rights” at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 17, 2021. The hearing will highlight the experiences of college athletes as Congress considers proposals to enable the athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness (“NIL”); improve athlete health care; and enhance scholarship protections and transfer rights; among other matters.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), the Chair of the Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, will convene a hearing titled, “The State of Outdoor Tourism, Recreation, & Ecotourism” at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. This hearing will examine the state of outdoor tourism and the recreation industry, including the impacts of COVID-19 on businesses and communities. Over the past year, there has been an increase in participation and demand in outdoor recreation, which has created both challenges and opportunities for the industry. Witnesses will provide their insights surrounding the contributions of outdoor recreation to local economies and discuss solutions for promoting the outdoor industry, investing in local communities, protecting our lands and waters, and supporting U.S. jobs and businesses.