Hearings

Hearings 05/11/2023
Subcommittee: The State of Universal Service
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “The State of Universal Service” on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 10:00 AM ET. The Universal Service Fund (USF) supports the expansion of telecommunications through four programs: the High Cost Program, Lifeline, E-Rate and the Rural Health Care Program. Demand for connectivity in all aspects of American life continues to grow, and it is essential to consider the current state of the USF to ensure it meets the needs of Americans today and in the future. This hearing will examine the need for connectivity in rural and insular areas, for health professionals in providing telemedicine and telehealth, for low-income households that otherwise could not afford internet access and for access to broadband in our nation’s schools and libraries. The hearing will also explore potential reforms to ensure its effectiveness in the years to come.
Hearings 05/10/2023
Executive Session
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee Executive Session on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET to consider the Railway Safety Act of 2023 and other important legislation, as well as Coast Guard promotions.
Hearings 03/29/2023
Advancing Next Generation Aviation Technologies
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “Advancing Next Generation Aviation Technologies” on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Hearings 03/23/2023
Enhancing Consumer Protections and Connectivity in Air Transportation
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “Enhancing Consumer Protections and Connectivity in Air Transportation” on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET. This hearing will examine the need to strengthen consumer protections for the U.S. flying public, including bolstering Department of Transportation rules, enhancing accessibility for the disability community and exploring the intersection of competition and customer service. This hearing will also discuss the importance of air service connectivity for small and rural communities. The Committee will hear from witnesses about potential solutions to improve consumer protections and competition across the airline industry.
Hearings 03/22/2023
Executive Session and Rail Safety Hearing
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee executive session on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET to consider legislation and a presidential nomination. The Committee will hold a full committee hearing titled “Improving Rail Safety in Response to the East Palestine Derailment” directly following the Executive Session.
Hearings 03/16/2023
Strengthening the Aviation Workforce
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee titled “Strengthening the Aviation Workforce” on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET. This hearing will examine challenges facing the aviation workforce and identify solutions for improving the education, recruitment, hiring, training and retention of workers in the aviation industry and at the Federal Aviation Administration. The hearing will also examine opportunities to increase representation in and promote awareness of aviation careers.
Hearings 03/8/2023
Implementation and Oversight of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee titled “Implementation and Oversight of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act” on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET. This hearing will examine the implementation of aviation safety and oversight reforms mandated by the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act of 2020 (ACSAA). The hearing will also review any additional reforms necessary to enhance FAA’s aviation safety and oversight of certification and manufacturing processes.
Hearings 03/1/2023
Nomination Hearing
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee nomination hearing on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at 10 a.m. ET to consider the following Presidential nomination:
Hearings 02/16/2023
Bringing Transparency and Accountability to Pharmacy Benefit Managers
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “Bringing Transparency and Accountability to Pharmacy Benefit Managers” on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 10 a.m. ET.
Hearings 02/15/2023
The Federal Aviation Administration’s NOTAM System Failure and its Impacts on a Resilient National Airspace
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “The Federal Aviation Administration’s NOTAM System Failure and its Impacts on a Resilient National Airspace” at 10:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. This hearing will review the causes and impacts of the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system outage and the FAA’s actions to strengthen the resiliency and reliability of the system. The hearing will also examine issues including challenges of modernizing the national air traffic system and maintaining legacy technology.
Hearings 02/14/2023
Nomination Hearing
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at 11 a.m. ET to consider the following Presidential nomination:
Hearings 02/9/2023
Executive Session & Hearing: Strengthening Airline Operations and Consumer Protections
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene an Executive Session on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET. A full committee hearing titled “Strengthening Airline Operations and Consumer Protections” will immediately follow. This hearing will review the causes and impacts of recent air travel disruptions as well as consumer impacts to the U.S. flying public. For instance, Southwest Airlines’ operational meltdown in December 2022 left millions of people stranded during the holidays. The Committee will hear testimony from one panel of witnesses to examine recommendations and determine appropriate corrective actions to improve airline consumer protections and build stronger, more resilient airline operations.
Hearings 12/13/2022
Promoting and Investing in Small American Manufacturers
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change and Manufacturing, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “Promoting and Investing in Small American Manufacturers” on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at 2 p.m. ET.
Hearings 12/13/2022
Ensuring Solutions to Meet America’s Broadband Needs
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “Ensuring Solutions to Meet America’s Broadband Needs” on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at 10 a.m. ET. Millions of Americans live in rural, Tribal and low-income urban areas that do not have access to affordable broadband. Congress has provided support for fixed and mobile broadband, including through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). New federal support for broadband access, affordability and inclusion will bring us closer to closing the digital divide and achieving digital equity. This hearing will examine ongoing and past efforts within the public and private sectors to bring affordable, resilient and secure broadband to all communities.
Hearings 12/7/2022
Executive Session
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an Executive Session on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 10 a.m. ET to consider Biden Administration nominations to serve on several boards, as well as Coast Guard promotions.
Hearings 12/1/2022
Subcommittee: Landsat at 50 & the Future of U.S. Satellite-based Earth Observation
U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Space and Science, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “Landsat at 50 & the Future of U.S. Satellite-based Earth Observation” at 10:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, December 1, 2022. This subcommittee hearing will highlight critical Earth Observation (EO) data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which recently celebrated Landsat’s 50th Anniversary. The hearing will also discuss the rise of commercial providers and improving access to EO data to spur economic growth. Finally, the hearing will highlight EO value-added services enabling precision agriculture, improved city planning, water management, wildland fire prevention and detection, and disaster response.
Hearings 09/29/2022
Securing U.S. Leadership in Emerging Compute Technologies
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled: “Securing U.S. Leadership in Emerging Compute Technologies” on Thursday, September 29, 2022, at 10 a.m. EDT.
Hearings 09/28/2022
Subcommittee: FAA Reauthorization: Integrating New Entrants into the National Airspace System
U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “FAA Reauthorization: Integrating New Entrants into the National Airspace System” on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at 2:15 p.m. EDT.
Hearings 09/14/2022
Executive Session
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an Executive Session on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at 10 a.m. EDT to consider the following piece of legislation:
Hearings 09/7/2022
Nomination Hearing
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at 10 a.m. EDT to consider the following Presidential nominations: