Hearings

Hearings 11/10/2020
Nominations Hearing
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a nominations hearing at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, 2020. The hearing will consider presidential nominations to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Commerce, and Federal Communications Commission.
Hearings 10/28/2020
Does Section 230’s Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior?
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Does Section 230’s Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior?,”at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28. The hearing will examine whether Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has outlived its usefulness in today’s digital age. It will also examine legislative proposals to modernize the decades-old law, increase transparency and accountability among big technology companies for their content moderation practices, and explore the impact of large ad-tech platforms on local journalism and consumer privacy. The hearing will provide an opportunity to discuss the unintended consequences of Section 230’s liability shield and how best to preserve the internet as a forum for open discourse.
Hearings 10/21/2020
Passenger and Freight Rail: The Current Status of the Rail Network and the Track Ahead
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Passenger and Freight Rail: The Current Status of the Rail Network and the Track Ahead,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21. The hearing will examine the current state of the passenger and freight rail network, including impacts of COVID-19 and legislative considerations for surface transportation reauthorization.
Hearings 10/1/2020
Executive Session
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session on Thursday, October 1, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building 106 to consider the following measures:
Hearings 09/30/2020
NASA Missions and Programs: Update and Future Plans
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “NASA Missions and Programs: Update and Future Plans,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. This hearing will focus on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) progress on major missions, including the Artemis Program. The hearing will also provide an opportunity to discuss mission challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and how the agency is adapting to meet those challenges.
Hearings 09/24/2020
An Evaluation of FirstNet’s Progress
U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, will convene a hearing titled, “An Evaluation of FirstNet’s Progress,” at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 24, 2020. The hearing will examine FirstNet and AT&T’s progress on building a nationwide public safety broadband network. The hearing will also review the Government Accountability Office’s most recent oversight report on FirstNet that was released in January 2020.
Hearings 09/23/2020
Revisiting the Need for Federal Data Privacy Legislation
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Revisiting the Need for Federal Data Privacy Legislation,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. This hearing will examine the current state of consumer data privacy and legislative efforts to provide baseline data protections for all Americans. The hearing will also examine lessons learned from the implementation of state privacy laws in the U.S. and the E.U. General Data Protection Regulation, as well as how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected data privacy.
Hearings 09/16/2020
Executive Session
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 9.45 a.m. in Russell Senate Office Building 325 to consider the following legislative measures and nominations:
Hearings 08/6/2020
Nominations Hearing
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a nominations hearing at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2020. The hearing will consider presidential nominations to the Department of Transportation, Surface Transportation Board, and Amtrak Board of Directors.
Hearings 08/5/2020
Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2020. The hearing will provide members an opportunity to examine policy issues before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and review the agency’s ongoing activities and proceedings.
Hearings 07/30/2020
The China Challenge: Realignment of U.S. Economic Policies to Build Resiliency and Competitiveness
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, chairman of the Subcommittee on Security, will convene a hearing titled, “The China Challenge: Realignment of U.S. Economic Policies to Build Resiliency and Competitiveness,” at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 30, 2020. The hearing will examine topics related to the Chinese Communist Party's unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft, and market manipulation and their harmful impact on U.S. global economic competitiveness.
Hearings 07/29/2020
Building a Stronger and More Resilient Seafood Sector
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Building a Stronger and More Resilient Seafood Sector,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. This hearing will examine the national and regional impacts of COVID-19 on the seafood industry and the effects of the fish disaster funding provided in the CARES Act. Witnesses will have the opportunity to discuss the work that needs to be done to sustain and restore a more resilient U.S. seafood sector.
Hearings 07/28/2020
The PACT Act and Section 230: The Impact of the Law that Helped Create the Internet and an Examination of Proposed Reforms for Today’s Online World
U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, will convene a hearing titled, “The PACT Act and Section 230: The Impact of the Law that Helped Create the Internet and an Examination of Proposed Reforms for Today’s Online World,” at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2020.
Hearings 07/23/2020
The State of U.S. Spectrum Policy
U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, will convene a hearing titled, “The State of U.S. Spectrum Policy,” at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 23, 2020. The hearing will examine the Federal Communications Commission’s and National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s role in spectrum management and policymaking. Witnesses will have the opportunity to discuss how the increased demand and competition for licensed and unlicensed spectrum resources have impacted spectrum policies in the United States.
Hearings 07/22/2020
Executive Session
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session on Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building G50 to consider the following legislative measures and nominations:
Hearings 07/21/2020
Protecting Americans from COVID-19 Scams
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., chairman of the Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection, will convene a hearing titled, “Protecting Americans from COVID-19 Scams,” at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. The hearing will examine the rise of scams that are occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Witnesses will have the opportunity to discuss ways businesses and federal and state governments are combatting COVID-19 related scams and what more can be done to protect the public.
Hearings 07/1/2020
Exploring a Compensation Framework for Intercollegiate Athletes
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Exploring a Compensation Framework for Intercollegiate Athletes,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. This hearing will examine the National Collegiate Athletic Association Board of Governors’ recent report on student-athlete compensation and the modernization of rules related to name, image, and likeness (NIL) commercialization. Witnesses will have the opportunity to discuss topics regarding commercial use of student-athletes’ NIL while preserving the integrity of collegiate institutions and amateurism in college sports.
Hearings 06/30/2020
Safety on Our Roads: Overview of Traffic Safety and NHTSA Grant Programs
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, will convene a hearing titled, “Safety on Our Roads: Overview of Traffic Safety and NHTSA Grant Programs,” at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. The hearing will examine the implementation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) highway safety grant programs, as well as key highway traffic safety issues.
Hearings 06/24/2020
Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. The hearing will provide members an opportunity to examine policy issues before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and review the agency’s ongoing activities and proceedings.
Hearings 06/17/2020
Examining the Federal Aviation Administration’s Oversight of Aircraft Certification
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Examining the Federal Aviation Administration’s Oversight of Aircraft Certification,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. The hearing will provide an opportunity to review issues associated with the design, development, certification, and operation of the Boeing 737 MAX following two international accidents in the past two years. The hearing will also consider potential opportunities to reform the certification process for transport-category aircraft.