Republican News

Press Releases 07/1/2020
Wicker, Cantwell Introduce Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today introduced the Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2020. The legislation would reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which supports about $650 million annually in fishery restoration and conservation programs, boating access and infrastructure, as well as fish stocking programs important to recreational anglers. The legislation would also authorize studies on the impacts of non-motorized vessel use on vessel waterway access as well as the impact of abandoned vessels.
Press Releases 06/24/2020
Committee Announces Hearing on Compensation 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.
Press Releases 06/23/2020
Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on 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.
Press Releases 06/22/2020
Wicker, Capito, Blackburn Introduce Bill to Accelerate Deployment of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Broadband Networks
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., today released the following statements upon introduction of the Accelerating Broadband Connectivity (ABC) Act of 2020. This legislation would expedite the deployment of broadband service by creating a fund to be used by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to incentivize winning bidders of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction to complete their buildout obligations on a shorter timeline.
Press Releases 06/18/2020
Wicker, Walden Release Broadband Connectivity and Digital Equity Framework
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, today released principles for a legislative framework to expand broadband access and digital opportunity and close the digital divide. This framework would serve as a foundation for legislative efforts related to the COVID-19 economic recovery, modernize the nation’s communications infrastructure, allow all Americans to participate in the digital economy, and enhance U.S. network security, reliability, and resiliency.
Press Releases 06/17/2020
Committee Announces FCC Oversight Hearing
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.
Press Releases 06/16/2020
Wicker, Cantwell Introduce Bipartisan Aviation Safety Legislation
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today released the following statements upon introduction of the Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act of 2020. This bipartisan legislation would implement provisions to improve aviation safety based on lessons learned from the tragic Boeing 737 MAX crashes, including addressing human factors to accurately assess pilot responses to cockpit alerts.
Press Releases 06/15/2020
Wicker, Thune Encourage FCC Action on C-Band Spectrum
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, today sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai encouraging the agency to move swiftly to clear C-Band spectrum to meet its planned auction timeline on December 8, 2020.
Press Releases 06/12/2020
Wicker, Inhofe, Cantwell, Reed Spectrum Bill Included in Armed Services Committee-Approved NDAA
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, today released the following statements upon inclusion of their bipartisan bill, S. 3717, the Spectrum IT Modernization Act, in the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Press Releases 06/11/2020
Wicker Introduces MARAD Reauthorization Bill
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, yesterday introduced S. 3930, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) Reauthorization Act. The legislation would authorize funding for programs associated with the United States Merchant Marine, ensure military sealift capacity for national security, improve port infrastructure, and promote the use of marine transportation infrastructure. The bill would also reauthorize the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998.