Cantwell, Schatz Demand Answers on Trump Administration’s Delay of Nearly $1 Billion in Tribal Broadband Grants
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Vice Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, today demanded answers from Commerce Department Secretary Howard Lutnick and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator Arielle Roth about why the Trump Administration has frozen the distribution of nearly $1 billion in congressionally-approved broadband grants to Native communities.
Senator Luján Sets the Record Straight on the Republican Government Shutdown and Trump Administration Dismantling of Independent Agencies
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M), member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, set the record straight on the Republican government shutdown and questioned three nominees to key transportation boards about their statutory obligations to act independently. Sen. Luján led Democrats at today’s hearing on Trump transportation nominees John DeLeeuw to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and Richard Kloster and Michelle Schultz to be Members of the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Ms. Shultz is a current STB member and is nominated for a second term.
Sen. Cruz at Noms Hearing: Democrats Have Taken Aviation System Hostage, Causing Major Flight Delays
In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce Committee nominations hearing, Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) commended Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford for taking necessary precautions to keep the flying public safe in light of staffing shortages caused by Senate Democrats’ having shut down the federal government.
Ranking Member Cantwell Opening Statement at Hearing for DOT and MWAA Nominees
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee hearing on the nominations of Ryan McCormack to be Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, Daniel Edwards to be an Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs, and Trent Morse to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Sen. Cruz: Nominees Will Help to Make American Transportation Safe and Efficient
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce Committee nominations hearing, Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) expressed his support for three nominees, emphasizing that they will make America’s transportation system safe, efficient, and reliable.
Cantwell Warns of Dangers of AI and Politically Driven Media Consolidation to Independent Journalism, Demands FCC Chair Brendan Carr Appear Before Committee to Answer for His Threats to Free Speech and a Free Press
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, today warned that the rapid deployment of AI combined with politically-driven consolidation of major media and technology companies poses a serious threat to the first amendment and to freedom of the press at today’s hearing on government censorship. Sen. Cantwell called out the failure of Chair Cruz to bring FCC Chair Brendan Carr before the Committee despite Carr’s use of regulatory threats to try to silence voices that do not support President Trump’s agenda.
Chairman Cruz Announces Hearing for Transportation Safety Nominees
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing for nominees of the National Transportation Safety Board and Surface Transportation Board at 10:00 AM EST on Thursday, November 6, 2025.
Commerce Committee Democrats Strongly Oppose Proposed Nomination Hearing on Trump’s Replacement for Illegally Removed NTSB Vice Chair Alvin Brown
Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Committee-members Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Jacky Rosen (Nev.) wrote to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz strongly opposing a proposed November 6 nomination hearing that would include John DeLeeuw to replace National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Vice Chair Alvin Brown. Mr. Brown was illegally removed from his position by President Trump earlier this year.
Ranking Member Cantwell Asks Again: Where is Chairman Carr?
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the below opening statement at the second in a series of Republican hearings allegedly focused on government censorship and the First Amendment. Despite FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s blatant use of regulatory threats against ABC and its affiliates if they didn’t suspend comedian Jimmy Kimmel, Chair Cruz has refused to call him to testify before the committee of jurisdiction. The hearing featured Neil Potts, Vice President of Public Policy at Meta, Markham Erickson, Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google, Will Creeley, Legal Director for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and Sen. Cantwell’s witness, Harold Feld, Senior Vice President at Public Knowledge.
Chairman Cruz Announces Hearing for Transportation Nominees
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing to consider nominees to the Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority at 2:15 PM EST on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.