Republican News

Press Releases 02/9/2022
Wicker Questions Gigi Sohn’s Potential Service as FCC Commissioner
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today delivered the following remarks during a second nominations hearing to consider Gigi Sohn to be Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC):
Press Releases 02/7/2022
Wicker Urges Administration to Promote Streamlined Permitting, Approval Processes to Expedite Broadband Deployment
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today sent a letter urging Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor to President Joseph Biden for Infrastructure Coordination, to work with states and localities to promote more streamlined permitting processes in advance of the distribution of more than $42 billion in grants for broadband deployment.
Press Releases 02/3/2022
Wicker Questions IRS Security System Requiring Taxpayers to Submit Video Selfie
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today sent a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig requesting information about the IRS’s transition to an account security system that will require taxpayers to submit a video of their face to a private company, ID.me, to verify their identity. This system has raised significant data privacy and security concerns, given the sensitivity of both the facial recognition data and the taxpayer information it is meant to secure.
Press Releases 01/28/2022
Committee Leaders Once Again Urge President to Prioritize Data Privacy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., ranking member of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, along with Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, today sent a letter urging President Joseph Biden to work with Congress to enact a nationwide consumer privacy and data security law this year.
Press Releases 01/28/2022
Senators Raise Concerns Over New Treasury Broadband Rule
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today joined 10 colleagues in a letter to U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to raise concerns regarding the recently-announced final rule for broadband infrastructure funding through the Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds. The Senators are also urging Secretary Yellen to ensure broadband funding focuses on unserved areas throughout the country.
Press Releases 01/14/2022
Wicker, Young Applaud FMCSA Advancement of 18 to 21-Year-Old Truck Driver Pilot Program
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Todd Young, R-Ind., applauded the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for advancing the 18 to 21-year-old truck driver pilot program. This program will allow 18 to 21-year-old truck drivers to operate in interstate commerce, as they currently do in intrastate commerce. The pilot program includes a number of safety requirements, such as advanced technology in trucks, an accompanying experienced driver, and the participation of motor carriers with a safe record.
Press Releases 01/13/2022
Wicker Urges FCC and NTIA to Strengthen Coordination on Spectrum Policy Following Recent Interference Concerns
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today sent a letter urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to work cooperatively to resolve spectrum policy issues and update the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on spectrum coordination, which has not been updated since 2003. The letter also reaffirms the respective roles of the agencies in the policy-making process.
Press Releases 12/15/2021
Commerce Committee Approves Bill to Address Sexual Misconduct in the Merchant Marine
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Susan Collins, R-Maine, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., today released the following statements after the committee approved the Improving Protections for Midshipmen Act. The legislation would strengthen Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment (SASH) prevention, response, investigation, and accountability in the maritime industry and provide additional safeguards for the midshipmen at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA).
Press Releases 12/15/2021
Commerce Committee Approves Bipartisan Tourism Legislation
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., chair of the Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Rick Scott, R-Fla., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Angus King, I-Maine, and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., today released the following statements after the committee approved the Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act of 2021. The legislation includes provisions to study the impacts of COVID-19 on the travel and tourism industry, elevate travel and tourism matters at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and facilitate international travel and set visitation goals for international travelers to the U.S.
Press Releases 12/13/2021
Committee Leaders Question FCC After Findings Reveal Fraudulent Enrollment in Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and John Thune, R- S.D., ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, along with Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R- Wash., ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Robert Latta, R-Ohio, ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, today sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel seeking information about the agency’s response after the FCC Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that broadband providers have been fraudulently enrolling households in the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program.