Democratic News

Press Releases 05/20/2025
Cantwell, Van Hollen and National Leaders in Science, Education, Industry Condemn Devastating Impacts of Trump’s Proposed 55% Cuts to NSF
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee, were joined today by five leaders in the scientific community to decry the devastating impacts of the Trump Administrations proposed 55% cut to the FY 2026 budget of the National Science Foundation.
Press Releases 05/15/2025
Cantwell: Pipeline Safety Enforcement Plummets Under Trump
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, called on the Trump Administration to explain why the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) -- the agency charged with enforcing pipeline safety -- is failing to act against operators that fail to comply with laws that keep the public safe.
Press Releases 05/14/2025
FAA Safety Oversight is Still Too Reactive Cantwell Questions Effectiveness of FAA ATO Safety Management System
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a hearing today with senior FAA safety leaders, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, pushed for answers on effectiveness of the FAA Air Traffic Organization’s safety management system (SMS).
Press Releases 05/14/2025
Democrats Hammer Trump Nominees for Commerce Department, FRA and Amtrak
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democrats on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, sharply questioned President Trump’s nominees for Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors, General Counsel of the Department of Commerce (DOC) and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service.
Press Releases 05/13/2025
Sen. Peters Opening Statement at Hearing on Trump Nominees for FRA, Amtrak, Commerce Dept
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chair of the Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing and Competitiveness, delivered the following opening statement at today’s nominations hearing for David Fink to be Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Robert Gleason to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors, Pierre Gentin to be the General Counsel of the Department of Commerce (DOC) and David Fogel to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service:
Press Releases 05/12/2025
Cantwell Asks Duffy About Risks of GOP Spectrum Auction Plan to Aviation Safety
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy seeking answers about the risks to aviation safety of proposals by the Department of Defense (DoD) and Republicans to auction federal spectrum bands essential to the National Airspace System and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations in the Republicans’ reconciliation legislation. The bill is set to be marked up on Tuesday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Press Releases 05/9/2025
Cantwell, Colleagues Call on President Trump to Reverse the Firing of Consumer Product Safety Commissioners
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), member of the Committee’s subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology and Data Privacy, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called on President Trump to reverse the firing of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s three Democratic Commissioners, Commissioner Hoehn-Saric, Commissioner Trumka, and Commissioner Boyle.
Press Releases 05/8/2025
At Hearing with Industry Leaders, Cantwell Seeks to Accelerate U.S. Leadership in AI Technology and Exports
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, pushed AI industry leaders to accelerate the adoption of U.S. AI technology on a global scale at today’s hearing on “Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation.” The hearing featured testimony from Sam Altman, Co-Founder and CEO of OpenAI, Dr. Lisa Su, CEO and Chair of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Michael Intrator, Co-Founder and CEO of CoreWeave and Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft Corporation.
Press Releases 05/6/2025
Hegseth Dereliction in Defending DoD Spectrum from Land Grab Threatens National Security, Cantwell Warns
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding answers about the risks to national security if spectrum bands that are essential to national defense are included for auction in the Republicans’ proposed reconciliation legislation.
Press Releases 05/6/2025
Cantwell Opening Statement at May 6 ‘Field of Streams: The New Channel Guide for Sports Fans’ Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the following opening statement at today’s ‘Field of Streams: The New Channel Guide for Sports Fans’ hearing:
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