Cantwell Delivers Opening Statement at FCC Nominations Markup

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, delivered the following opening statement at today’s executive session to consider the nominations of Anna Gomez, Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr to be Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioners, Fara Damelin to be the FCC Inspector General, Alvin Brown to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard promotions. The Committee held the FCC nominations hearing on June 22 and the NTSB nominations hearing on June 21.

Sen. Cruz: The American People Have a Right To Know if Their Air Fryer Is Spying on Them

Requests Unanimous Consent to Pass Bipartisan Informing Consumers about Smart Devices Act, Receives Objection from Sen. Paul  WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today took to the Senate floor requesting unanimous consent to pass his Informing Consumers about Smart Devices Act, bipartisan legislation he introduced with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) […]

Cantwell, Baldwin Want More Answers, Accountability From Coast Guard Following Disclosure of “Operation Fouled Anchor” and Decades-Long, Hidden Reports of Sexual Assault

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change and Manufacturing, which oversees the Coast Guard, sent a letter to the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Linda Fagan, seeking answers and accountability for the mishandling of a previously undisclosed, years-long investigation into sexual assault allegations in connection to the Coast Guard Academy. The Committee learned of these reports that had previously been withheld from Congress and the public through its routine oversight role during a briefing from the Coast Guard.

Sen. Cruz Wants Answers from Merchant Marine Academy on Official’s Bigoted Tweets

Sex assault prevention director attributes ‘misogyny and racism [to] same white, male root’ WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today sent a letter to Vice Admiral Joanna Nunan, the superintendent of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), demanding answers about the safety of cadets in light of disturbing remarks […]

Cantwell Applauds $42 Billion to Connect Americans to Affordable, Reliable, High-Speed Internet

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which sets federal broadband policy, applauded today’s announcement by President Biden that $42.45 billion in funding is being distributed to states to expand affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service to communities, including $1.2 billion to the State of Washington where 264,000 households still lack access.

Sen. Cruz Demands Answers from FTC Chair Lina Khan Over Toxic Culture at Agency

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) this week sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan regarding the troubling drop in employee morale at the agency. Recent data from worker surveys show a decline in respect for the agency’s leadership and an uptick in agency employee […]

At Nominations Hearing, Sen. Cruz Blasts FCC Actions on Standard-General-TEGNA Deal, Calls Out Fraud-Risk in Affordable Connectivity Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s committee hearing to consider nominations for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) criticized several recent FCC’s recent actions, including its unfair quashing of the Standard-General-TEGNA transaction and its failure to safeguard the taxpayer-funded American Connectivity Program from waste, fraud, and abuse. Sen. […]