Hearings

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), the Chair of the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports, will convene a hearing titled, “Freight Mobility: Strengthening America’s Supply Chains and Competitiveness,” at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. The hearing will address the current challenges facing the freight industry, and the ways in which Congress and stakeholders can enhance our nation’s transportation infrastructure and supply chains to ensure the continued competitiveness of American freight movement. Witnesses will also have the opportunity to discuss other opportunities to strengthen U.S. freight and transportation policy.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 to consider the following measures:

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the Chair of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, will convene a hearing titled, “Curbing COVID Cons: Warning Consumers about Pandemic Frauds, Scams, and Swindles,” at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. The hearing will examine scams related to COVID-19 and Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) actions to stop these scams. In particular, the hearing will raise awareness of ongoing schemes such as identity theft, fake personal protective equipment, fraudulent vaccination claims, and robocalls; the FTC’s education efforts around these scams; the FTC’s use of its new civil penalty authority for COVID-related scams; and the FTC’s threatened “13(b)” consumer redress authority.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a nomination hearing at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 to consider the presidential nominations of Bill Nelson to be National Aeronautics and Space Administration Administrator, Lina Khan to be a Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, and Leslie Kiernan to be General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Chair of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, will convene a hearing titled, “Shot of Truth: Communicating Trusted Vaccine Information,” at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 15, 2021. The hearing will examine the ways in which media is disseminating vaccine safety and COVID-health related information to encourage Americans, particularly those in rural areas and in communities of color, to get vaccinated. It also will explore what more can be done to encourage media outlets, including television, radio, and online platforms, to promote reliable and trustworthy vaccine information.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chair of the Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, will convene a hearing titled, “The State of Travel and Tourism During COVID,” at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. This hearing will examine the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry, with a particular focus on the hotels, conventions, and the broader hospitality industry. It will also review regional impacts of COVID on tourism-heavy economies and those communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic's resulting economic downturn. Witnesses will have the opportunity to provide their insights surrounding these critical issues, as well as discuss solutions for supporting and revitalizing the travel and tourism industry moving forward.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled “Recent Federal Actions to Expand Broadband: Are We Making Progress?” at 10:00 am on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. The hearing will review recent federal actions to expand broadband coverage, including the Federal Communications Commission’s actions on the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), the Re-Connect program, and moves to enhance federal coordination among these existing programs. It also will consider the measures directed at broadband expansion adopted by Congress in response to the pandemic, like the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) broadband grant programs for Tribes, unserved areas, and minority-serving institutions. Witnesses will have the opportunity to discuss the effectiveness of these programs in delivering connectivity to unserved and underserved Americans throughout the country.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a nomination hearing on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 to consider the presidential nomination of Polly Trottenberg to be Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold an executive session on Thursday, February 11, 2021, at 10:00 am in Dirksen Senate Office Building G50 to consider the following agenda: