Cantwell Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on Broadcast Ownership
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the below opening statement at a hearing on the future of broadcast ownership featuring testimony from Chris Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax, Curtis LeGeyt, President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, Thomas Johnson, Partner and Co-Chair of Issues and Appeals at Wiley Rein LLP and Steve Waldman, President of Rebuild Local News.
Cantwell Cheers on Team USA Ahead of Olympics Opening Ceremony
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, emphasized the need to invest in women’s and Olympic sports at U.S. colleges and universities—the nation’s Olympic pipeline—in a statement ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony. While many colleges have eliminated or cut funding for these sports programs, Sen. Cantwell’s SAFE Act would amend the Sports Broadcasting Act to expand media revenues so schools can protect and invest more funding in women’s and Olympic sports programs.
As Communities Face Increasing Weather Threats, Cantwell, Budd Introduce Bill to Deploy Nation’s Next Generation Weather Radar
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) today introduced legislation to establish the Radar Next Program which will carry out deployment of the nation’s next generation weather radar system.
Bedford’s Violation of Ethics Agreement May Yield the Sitting FAA Chief Millions
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill), Ranking Member of the aviation subcommittee, and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Department of Transportation (DOT) General Counsel Gregory Zerzan demanding information and accountability regarding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford’s refusal to comply with his ethics agreement and divest his shares in Republic Airways. Instead, Bedford stalled while Republic Airways completed a merger with Mesa Air Group, which appears to have vastly increased the value of his holdings.
After 25 Years and Billions in Federal Subsidies, not a Single Train Operating in California
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released a supplemental investigative report examining how, despite billions of dollars in state and federal funding, California’s high-speed rail is nowhere close to functioning. Instead, gross mismanagement by California leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, has led to countless delays and ballooning costs. After more than a quarter of a century and $6.8 billion in awarded federal funds, not a single high-speed train is operational in California. On July 16, 2025, the Trump administration announced it would terminate $4.2 billion in funding previously awarded to the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) after the Federal Railroad Administration concluded CHSRA would not meet its commitment to begin operating by 2033 a 171-mile project segment between Merced and Bakersfield.
Cantwell Warns Trump Administration Gutting of NHTSA Puts Americans at Risk as Self-Driving Cars Take to the Road in Increasing Numbers
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee warned that the Trump administration’s gutting of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will make it impossible for the agency to regulate autonomous vehicle technology to protect consumers while at the same time support the future growth of self-driving cars in the United States. Sen. Cantwell also emphasized the importance of ensuring consumers have a means for holding Autonomous Vehicle (AV) companies accountable.
Cantwell Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on Autonomous Vehicles
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the below opening statement at a hearing on the future of self-driving vehicles featuring testimony from Lars Moravy, Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla, Waymo’s Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Pena, Jeff Farrah, Chief Executive Office for the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association and Professor Bryant Walker Smith, Associate Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina’s Rice School of Law.
Sen. Cruz, Rep. Onder: It’s Time to Pass the ROTOR Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Representative Bob Onder (R-MO) published an op-ed in RealClearPolicy today calling for swift House passage of the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, a bipartisan airspace safety reform bill prompted by last year’s fatal midair collision at Reagan National Airport.
Chairman Cruz: AVs Need Clear Rules of the Road
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, “Hit the Road, Mac: The Future of Self-Driving Cars,” Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stressed that Congress must craft a clear federal framework for autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment.
Cantwell Demands AT&T, Verizon CEOs Come Clean on Salt Typhoon Hacks, Ongoing Network Security Risks
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation called on Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to hold a hearing with AT&T CEO John Stankey and Verizon CEO Dan Schulman to demand answers about the current security of their telecommunications networks after they refused to be transparent about their responses to the Salt Typhoon cyberattack.