Minority News

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to proceed with a proposed rule making to protect a free and open Internet.

Press Releases 05/13/2014

Rockefeller, McCaskill, Booker Examine Possible Exploitation of Student-Athletes

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Jay Rockefeller, (D-W.V.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) have called on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to exercise better oversight of its member institutions to ensure that they are taking the necessary steps to protect student-athletes from exploitation. The Senators’ joint letter requests information that will help shed light on the NCAA’s current policies and practices.

Press Releases 05/9/2014

Rockefeller, Blumenthal, Markey Call on Coast Guard to Make Cruise Ship Inspection Information Available to Public

WASHINGTON, D.C.--In a letter to U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Robert Papp, Jr., Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W.V.) and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) called on the Coast Guard to detail how it plans to use inspection information to hold cruise ships with safety problems accountable. The senators also requested that such information be made available to the public over the Internet. The letter comes on the heels of the Coast Guard’s recent decision to conduct unannounced inspections of cruise ships that have exhibited a history of safety problems.

Press Releases 05/7/2014

Rockefeller: Congress Must Find Long-Term Solution for Funding Surface Transportation Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today gave an opening statement at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing titled, "Surface Transportation Reauthorization: Progress, Challenges, and Next Steps." Below are his prepared remarks:

Press Releases 05/5/2014

Rockefeller Statement on the Passing of Rep. James Oberstar

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today issued the following statement on the passing of Representative James Oberstar. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and former colleague, James Oberstar. Jim was a devoted public servant, who was a visionary and passionate about improving the lives of people in Minnesota and across the nation. For three decades, Jim was a tireless champion for investments that would lead to major improvements and advancements in our transportation system and infrastructure. Every major transportation bill that Jim worked on reflected his vision for the future, and because of his unrelenting courage and hard work, our nation’s skies, ports and roads are remarkably safer. Jim came to West Virginia to help us fight for the continuation of the Appalachian Regional Commission, which has funded so many of our roads and highways, including Corridor H, Corridor D and Corridor G. Beyond his incredible record of accomplishment, I admired Jim for his character and deep moral compass that always guided him. “Sharon and I send my condolences to Jim's wife, Jean, his four children and all of his grandchildren. Jim will be missed.” ###

Press Releases 05/1/2014

Rockefeller Statement on White House Big Data Report

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement after the White House released a report on big data and privacy. “The Senate Commerce Committee’s recent investigation of data broker practices showed that large private companies are compiling and selling profiles that label consumers based on economic or other vulnerabilities, and raised concerns about potential harmful uses of these products. The White House report builds on our findings and further highlights the deep and growing concern about how big data could lead to discrimination against consumers in decisions involving their health, housing, employment, or prices charged them. I am especially pleased this report underscores the need for ‘a national conversation on big data, discrimination, and civil liberties’. This conversation is long overdue. We have to come together – industry and government – to implement policies that make sure consumer protections evolve in tandem with advances in big data.” ###

Press Releases 04/30/2014

Rockefeller: Congress Needs to Fund TSA so Agency can Fulfill Critical Mission Across Transportation Systems

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today gave an opening statement at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing titled, "Transportation Security Administration Oversight: Confronting America's Transportation Security Challenges." Below are his prepared remarks:

Press Releases 04/29/2014

Rockefeller Statement on DOT Surface Transportation Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement after Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx released the Administration’s surface transportation reauthorization proposal, the “GROW AMERICA Act”, that, if enacted, would create millions of jobs and invest in rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.

Press Releases 04/10/2014

Rockefeller Statement on Cybersecurity Information Sharing Announcement

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that cybersecurity information can be shared with competitors without violating antitrust law.

Press Releases 04/9/2014

Commerce Committee Passes Youth Sports Concussions Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV) and Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today released the following statements after the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed S. 1014, the Youth Sports Concussions Act. The legislation seeks to protect youth athletes from the dangers of concussions by curbing false advertising claims that sports equipment manufacturers make in order to sell protective gear for sports. Action on S. 1014 coincides with April’s Youth Sports Safety Month, a campaign by STOP Sports Injuries to make sure parents, coaches and athletes are educated on preventing sports injuries in kids. The Rockefeller-Udall bill now awaits action by the full Senate.

Press Releases 04/9/2014

Commerce Committee Passes Sport Fishing Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV) and Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD) today released the following statements after the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed S. 2028, the Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2014, which seeks to preserve and restore fishing habitats which benefit the Nation’s sport fishermen, while creating jobs in the recreating industry. The legislation now awaits action by the full Senate.

Press Releases 04/9/2014

Commerce Committee Passes Manufacturing Bill to Create Jobs and Boost Economy

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today released the following statements after the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed S. 1468, the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2013, which seeks to strengthen collaborations between the government and the manufacturing sector. The legislation now awaits action by the full Senate.

Press Releases 04/7/2014

Rockefeller: Crude Oil Industry Commitment to Safety Seems to be "Lip Service"

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement after the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) reported that the crude oil industry has not kept its promise to share testing data with the agency. Last month, the American Petroleum Institute (API) pledged to Congress to share this data with the Department of Transportation as part of the agency's work to ensure the safe transportation of crude.

Press Releases 04/2/2014

Rockefeller: GM Recall and NHTSA's Response are Deeply Frustrating and Outrageous

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller today issued prepared remarks for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation's Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance hearing titled, "Examining the GM Recall and NHTSA's Defect Investigation Process." Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

Press Releases 04/1/2014

Rockefeller: STELA Reauthorization Must Advance the Public Interest

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller today issued prepared remarks for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation's Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet hearing titled, "Reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA)."

Press Releases 04/1/2014

Rockefeller: Car Safety Rule Welcome Step Toward Protecting Children

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement after the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a rule yesterday that will help reduce deaths caused by rearview mirror blind spots. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that more than 200 children die each year because a driver can’t see behind their car. The rule was mandated in bipartisan legislation passed in 2008 and was required to be finalized by February 2011. The law, the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, was named in honor of a young boy who was killed in a tragic accident in his own driveway.

Press Releases 03/31/2014

Rockefeller Statement on FCC Media Ownership Action

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) action on media ownership. Rockefeller has called on the FCC to closely examine the use of Joint Sales Agreements (JSA) and Shared Services Agreements (SSA) by broadcasters and has asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study how JSAs and SSAs impact competition and consumers.

Press Releases 03/26/2014

Rockefeller: I Remain Unconvinced Cruise Industry Is Doing Enough to Protect Passengers

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today submitted a prepared statement to the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) public forum on cruise ship safety. Rockefeller released a cruise crime report in July 2013 which exposed critical barriers to public access of important cruise ship crime and safety data. He also held a hearing in July 2013 titled, “Cruise Industry Oversight: Recent Incidents Show Need for Stronger Focus on Consumer Protection”, that focused on the consumer protection challenges the cruise industry faces in light of recent safety and security incidents.

Press Releases 03/26/2014

Rockefeller: We Need a Strong Federal Standard to Protect Consumer Data

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today gave an opening statement at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing titled, "Protecting Personal Consumer Information from Cyber Attacks and Data Breaches." Below are his prepared remarks:

Press Releases 03/25/2014

Rockefeller: Staff Report Details Target's Missed Opportunities to Stop Massive Data Breach

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released a staff report titled, “A ‘Kill Chain’ Analysis of the 2013 Target Data Breach.” The report details how Target possibly failed to take advantage of several opportunities to prevent the massive data breach in 2013 when cyber criminals stole the financial and personal information of as many as 110 million consumers.

Press Releases 03/19/2014

Rockefeller Statement on DOJ Settlement with Toyota

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement on the Justice Department’s $1.2 billion settlement with Toyota for misleading consumers about the sudden-acceleration defect in Toyota and Lexus vehicles:

Press Releases 03/14/2014

Rockefeller Statement on Global Internet Governance

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) announcement that it intends to support the process of transitioning the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority functions to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Press Releases 03/12/2014

Rockefeller to ICANN: Websites Ending in ".Sucks" Do Not Serve the Public Interest

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today expressed his concern about allowing websites to use names that end in “.sucks”, explaining that the only apparent purpose of these websites is to extract “defensive registration” payments from Internet users, and unfairly defame individuals, non-profit organizations, and businesses. In a letter to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization responsible for approving generic top level domains (gTLD) like “.com” or “.net”, Rockefeller wrote that approving the pending gTLD for “.sucks” will force businesses and non-profits to pay ongoing fees to third parties to avoid having their names associated with the new gTLD.