WTAS: Advocates Commend Sen. Cruz on ROTOR Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Aviation organizations and families of the victims of American Airlines Flight 5342 crash have praised the Senate Commerce Committee’s unanimous passage of Chairman Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) aviation safety bill. The Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act would require ADS-B safety technology in aircraft and improve air traffic control.
Ranking Member Cantwell Opening Statement at Nominations Hearing for MARAD Administrator, FMC Commissioners, NOAA Assistant Secretary
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the following opening remarks at today’s nominations hearing for Stephen Carmel to be Administrator of the Maritime Commission (MARAD), Laura DiBella and Robert Harvey to be members of the Federal Maritime Commission, and Dr. Timothy Petty to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere at the National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration:
Part II of Shut Your App: How Uncle Sam Jawboned Big Tech Into Silencing Americans
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 “Shut Your App: How Uncle Sam Jawboned Big Tech Into Silencing Americans, Part II” on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 10:00 am EST. This hearing will examine how the Biden administration pressured big tech companies to censor protected speech online, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and recent elections.
Sen. Cruz: We Need a Maritime Strategy Focused on Removing Regulatory Barriers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce Committee nominations hearing, Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called on the nominees to restore American maritime dominance.
Former College, Pro Players Warn SCORE Act Will Hurt College Sports’ Most Valuable Assets: Athletes
Today, former college and professional athletes joined U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in warning that the SCORE Act, being considered by the House of Representatives, would roll-back hard fought NIL rights and health protections, leave athletes vulnerable to unscrupulous agents, short-change women’s and Olympic sports and shut the door on collective bargaining rights. Today’s comments came during a virtual press conference hosted by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA), Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA), Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA).
Ranking Member Cantwell Opening Statement Ahead of Commerce Committee Approval of Key Legislation
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the following opening statement during today’s executive session. Several pieces of legislation Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored were approved, including the ROTOR Act (S. 2503), PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025 (S. 2975) and Integrated Ocean Observation System Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S. 2126):
Commerce Committee Approves Cantwell-Cruz Bipartisan Aviation Safety Bill
Today, the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation unanimously approved bipartisan aviation safety legislation that requires all aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B In technology, closes a loophole that allowed military aircraft to operate without ADS-B Out transmitting their location, strengthens FAA-Department of Defense (DoD) coordination and requires comprehensive safety reviews of all aircraft operations in the DCA airspace, as well as all major and mid-sized airports across the country. The legislation addresses several safety issues identified by the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) ongoing investigation into the mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that killed 67 people on January 29. Reports of over 15,000 near-misses between commercial aircraft and helicopters in the National Capital Region went unaddressed in the three years before the crash.
Sea Change: Reviving Commercial Shipbuilding
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 “Sea Change: Reviving Commercial Shipbuilding” on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 10:00 am EST. This hearing will examine how to modernize and accelerate U.S. commercial shipbuilding while strengthening America’s broader maritime industrial base.
Commerce Committee Advances ROTOR Act, PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced out of committee eight bills, including the amended ROTOR Act and PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025. The committee also approved nominations for the Departments of Commerce and Transportation.
Sen. Cruz: The ROTOR Act Will Save Lives
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce Committee executive session, Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) detailed how the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act will make flying safer in light of January’s fatal plane crash at Reagan National Airport. Last week, Sen. Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) reached a bipartisan agreement to help advance the bill out of committee.