Chairman Cruz: NTSB Affirms Need to Pass ROTOR Act
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, in a statement recognized the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)’s findings and safety recommendations in its investigation of the midair collision involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on January 29, 2025.
Sens. Cruz, Cantwell: Include ROTOR in Upcoming Funding Bill
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, in a letter urge Senate and Appropriations Committee leaders to include the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act (S.2503) in the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation Housing and Urban Development Appropriations package currently being negotiated. Funding for multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation, is set to expire on January 30th.
Cantwell, Klobuchar, Markey Raise Concerns on the Use of AI in Toys
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to address the safety risks of AI in children’s toys.
Science Survives Existential Threat From Trump Budget as Senate Rejects Gutting NASA, NSF, & NIST
America’s leading science agencies have survived an existential threat thanks to bipartisan rejection of massive budget cuts proposed by the Trump Administration. The Senate overwhelmingly passed the three-bill FY26 appropriations package including Commerce, Justice, Science. The bill stabilizes funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Science Foundation (NSF), and boosts funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Experts Tell Committee AI Presents Greater Risk to Children than Social Media
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, elicited testimony from experts at today’s hearing on children’s screen time that AI, particularly companion apps, pose an even greater risk to children than social media. The Committee heard from Dr. Jenny Radesky, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Dr. Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University, Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, Director, LME Global, and Ms. Emily Cherkin, Author and Founder of The Screentime Consultant.
Evaluating Progress After Historic Investments in the U.S. Coast Guard
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, will convene a hearing titled “The Fleet We Funded: Assessing Coast Guard Force Laydown on the Heels of Historic Investment” on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. EST. This hearing will examine how the record $25 billion investment from the Working Families Tax Cut Act and the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 is supporting emerging operational demands, including global deployments and increased availability of vessels and aircraft to counter narcotraffickers.
Chairman Cruz: KOSMA Meets Parents Where They’re At, Protects Kids Online
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, “Plugged Out: Examining the Impact of Technology on America’s Youth” Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stressed the toll a “phone-based” childhood can take on kids’ development and mental wellbeing. The hearing will also explore how to equip parents as the U.S. education system provides personal devices to children.
Sens. Cruz, Welch Introduce Bill to Strengthen America’s Satellite Sector
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today introduced the Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act, bipartisan legislation that aims to update the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) application process and remove regulatory barriers and uncertainty that could threaten investments in the United States’ commercial satellite industry.
Cantwell, Young, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Todd Young (R-Ind.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act to accelerate quantum technology development and real-world applications that are vital to U.S. national security and global economic competitiveness.
Chairman Cruz Announces Kids Screen Time Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “Plugged Out: Examining the Impact of Technology on America’s Youth” on Thursday, January 15th at 10:00 am EST. With tweens spending an average of five hours a day on screens, and teens over eight hours a day, this hearing will examine how early, excessive use of smartphones, tablets, and laptops can harm development and mental wellbeing. The hearing will also explore how to empower parents, who often struggle to monitor and limit screen time, at a time when the U.S. education system – fueled by federal subsidies and incentives – is providing personal devices to children.