Committee to Hold Hearing with Big Tech CEOs on Section 230
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Does Section 230’s Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior?,”at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28. The hearing will examine whether Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has outlived its usefulness in today’s digital age. It will also examine legislative proposals to modernize the decades-old law, increase transparency and accountability among big technology companies for their content moderation practices, and explore the impact of large ad-tech platforms on local journalism and consumer privacy. The hearing will provide an opportunity to discuss the unintended consequences of Section 230’s liability shield and how best to preserve the internet as a forum for open discourse.
Committee Announces Nominations Hearing
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a nominations hearing at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, 2020. The hearing will consider presidential nominations to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Commerce, and Federal Communications Commission.
Wicker, Thune, Walden, Guthrie, Latta Lead Bill to Open Mid-Band Spectrum for Commercial Use
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, and Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, today issued the following statement upon introduction of the bicameral Beat China By Harnessing Important, National Airwaves for 5G Act of 2020, or the Beat CHINA for 5G Act of 2020.
Committee Unanimously Approves Authorizations to Subpoena Big Tech CEOs
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today released the following statement after the Committee unanimously approved authorizations to issue subpoenas to compel the testimony of Jack Dorsey, Chief Executive Officer, Twitter; Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer, Alphabet Inc., Google; and Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer, Facebook. The CEOs have not agreed to repeated requests to testify before the Committee on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which governs how online platforms moderate and display user generated content.
Cantwell Statement on Vote to Authorize Subpoenas for Facebook, Twitter, Google CEOs
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement on the committee’s vote to authorize subpoenas for the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter, and Google: “There is a lot we want to talk to tech platforms about, like privacy and anti-competitive […]
Committee Announces Hearing on Passenger and Freight Rail
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Passenger and Freight Rail: The Current Status of the Rail Network and the Track Ahead,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21. The hearing will examine the current state of the passenger and freight rail network, including impacts of COVID-19 and legislative considerations for surface transportation reauthorization.
Wicker, Schatz, Rubio Introduce AQUAA Act to Advance American Aquaculture
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., today introduced the bipartisan Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act of 2020 to establish national standards for sustainable offshore aquaculture. The bill would designate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the lead federal agency for marine aquaculture. The legislation would also direct NOAA to harmonize the permitting system for offshore aquaculture for farms in federal waters, and direct the agency to lead a research and development grant program to spur innovation throughout the industry.
Committee Announces Markup on October 1
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session on Thursday, October 1, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building 106 to consider the following measures:
Committee Announces Hearing on NASA Missions and Programs
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “NASA Missions and Programs: Update and Future Plans,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. This hearing will focus on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) progress on major missions, including the Artemis Program. The hearing will also provide an opportunity to discuss mission challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and how the agency is adapting to meet those challenges.
Ranking Member Cantwell Warns of Privacy Implications of New SCOTUS Justice, Urges Passage of Privacy Bill With Strong Consumer Protections
WASHINGTON, D.C.–U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) reiterated the need for federal privacy legislation at today’s Commerce Committee Hearing. Ranking Member Cantwell said, “The Supreme Court discussion that we’re now having, I think will launch us into a very broad discussion of privacy rights and where they exist […]