Committee Members Urge Commerce Department to Update National Travel and Tourism Strategy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., ranking member and chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., sent a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urging the interagency Tourism Policy Council to update the National Travel and Tourism Strategy (NTTS) to reflect the impact of COVID-19. The NTTS was last updated in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cantwell Declares Local News Is Critical Infrastructure—Urges Congressional Support
TV Quality Video | Audio | Transcript Americans trust local news over national news by a two-to-one margin Roughly 37,000 newspaper employees have been laid off, furloughed, or had their pay cut since the pandemic began WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today came out […]
Cantwell Calls For Increased Research and Development Funding To Keep America Competitive
Opening Statement Video | Audio | Transcript U.S. lags behind Germany, Japan, South Korea, other nations in research intensity Cantwell points to universities as key components of national R&D strategy WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today held a hearing on the “Endless Frontier […]
Chair Cantwell Appoints Members of the Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced her appointments to the Commission on the State of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC Commission), including her pick for co-chair. “The USOPC exists to protect athletes and uphold the integrity of sport,” said Chair […]
Chair Cantwell Statement on President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement on President Biden’s infrastructure investment and job creation plan: “We must strengthen and expand America’s infrastructure to remain competitive and secure in the 21st century. As we recover from the COVID crisis, […]
Wicker Requests Hearing on FCC Broadband Maps
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, sent a letter to Sen. Maria Cantwell, chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, requesting that the Committee hold a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oversight hearing to discuss the agency’s plans and timelines for developing new broadband maps.
Senators Introduce Bill to Address Telecommunications Workforce Shortage
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Tim Scott, R-S.C., today introduced the Improving Minority Participation and Careers in Telecommunications (IMPACT) Act. The legislation would create a grant program through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) that would award $100 million in grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-serving Institutions to develop job training programs to educate and train students to participate in the telecommunications workforce.
Chair Cantwell Releases Report on Safety and Congestion Challenges Facing At-Grade Railroad Crossings
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released a report studying and assessing safety and efficiency concerns at at-grade railroad crossings. The report, previewed by Chair Cantwell during today’s committee hearing on transportation infrastructure, finds that current federal programs are not sufficient […]
Cantwell Identifies Top Transportation Infrastructure Priorities; Calls For Robust Investment at Commerce Hearing
Opening Statement Video | Audio | Transcript American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gives U.S. infrastructure a “C-“ grade Cantwell’s top three infrastructure bill priorities: mega projects, freight infrastructure investment, and highway-rail at-grade crossings Without investment, the ASCE estimates the nation will lose $10 trillion in GDP by 2039 WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Maria […]
Committee Approves Deputy Secretary of Transportation Nomination
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved President Biden’s nomination of Polly Trottenberg to be Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation by a bipartisan 24-4 vote. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Chair of the committee, praised Trottenberg’s qualifications in her remarks at the hearing: “I believe […]