Democratic News

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chair of the Committee, announced a bipartisan agreement requiring aircraft operators to equip their fleets with ADS-B In technology by December 31, 2031. The agreement addresses several safety issues identified by the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation into the mid-air collision near Reagan National Airport (DCA) that took 67 lives on January 29. It also closes the ADS-B Out loophole, strengthens FAA-Department of Defense (DoD) coordination, and requires comprehensive safety reviews of all aircraft operations in the DCA airspace,

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, wrote to Acting Special Counsel Jamieson Greer demanding an investigation into Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem for likely Hatch Act violations related to a partisan video featuring her airing at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport screening locations across the country. The Office of Special Counsel is responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act.

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, wrote a letter to the Presidents and Chancellors of the Big Ten Conference schools regarding reports that the Big Ten is considering a proposal to sell a stake of their athletic revenue to private equity investors. The universities must approve such a deal.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, asked aloud at today’s hearing on government censorship, “Where is Chairman Carr?” Sen. Cantwell and Democrats called for Brendan Carr, Chair of the Federal Communications Committee (FCC), to testify before the Commerce Committee after he threatened regulatory action against ABC and its affiliates if they did not suspend comedian Jimmy Kimmel, resulting in his immediate suspension from the air.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, demanded Trump Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought reverse his latest illegal action to cut off the ability for the public and whistleblowers to report misconduct, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars in the federal government. Vought recently moved to withhold funding for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, which operates a whistleblower hotline and website on behalf of independent inspectors general including for the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Federal Trade Commission