Minority News

Press Releases 02/19/2013
Rockefeller on Sen. Lautenberg's Retirement Announcement
Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today issued the following statement after Senator Frank Lautenberg announced that he would retire at the end of this Congress.
Press Releases 02/14/2013
Rockefeller Concerned for Travellers in Proposed American, US Airways Merger
Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement on the proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways.
Press Releases 02/12/2013
Rockefeller on President's State of the Union Address
Chairman Rockefeller issued the following statement on President Obama’s State of the Union address this evening.
Press Releases 09/19/2012
Rockefeller Calls on Fortune 500 Companies to Prioritize Cybersecurity
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today wrote to the Chief Executive Officers of Fortune 500 companies, challenging them to play a leading role in reforming cyber security laws and to distinguish their solutions-oriented cybersecurity leadership from the obstructionist politics of beltway lobbying organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In a series of letters to the CEOs of America’s 500 largest businesses, Rockefeller noted that Congress came close to approving new cyber protections this summer—in response to the urgent requests of the Commanding General of Cyber Command and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Press Releases 08/20/2012
Rockefeller Applauds Appointments to FirstNet Board
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today applauded the appointments to the board of the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet. The first responder network was established by Rockefeller’s Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act.
Press Releases 08/13/2012
Rockefeller Urges President Obama to Protect Country From Cyber Threats
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today called on President Barack Obama to protect our nation’s economic and national security by issuing an Executive Order to create a voluntary public-private partnership that will address our country’s most pressing cyber vulnerabilities. Rockefeller’s letter comes after Senate Republicans blocked comprehensive cybersecurity legislation that our nation’s top military and national security officials say is necessary to protect against cyber attacks.
Press Releases 08/2/2012
Rockefeller Calls Blocking of Cyber Safety Reform Bill "Reckless"
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement after Republicans voted to block the Senate from moving ahead with a vote on his cybersecurity legislation:
Press Releases 08/1/2012
Rockefeller on Online Sales Tax
WASHINGTON, DC--Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today gave an opening statement at the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing titled "Marketplace Fairness: Leveling the Playing Field for Small Business."
Press Releases 07/30/2012
Rockefeller, Cosponsors Correct Chamber of Commerce Confusion on Cybersecurity
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Commerce Committee Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., HSGAC Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein, D-Ca., sent a letter to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce responding to the Chamber’s mischaracterizations about the revised Cybersecurity Act of 2012.
Press Releases 07/24/2012
Rockefeller Remarks on Cable Act
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV gave the following prepared opening statement at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing entitled "The Cable Act at 20" on July 24, 2012:
Press Releases 07/12/2012
Rockefeller Bill Will Reform Forensics
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today introduced legislation to help prevent wrongful convictions by bringing reliable, science-based standards to forensic evidence.
Press Releases 07/6/2012
Rockefeller on Transportation Bill Signing
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV issued the following statement after President Obama signed a reauthorization of the nation’s surface transportation programs into law.
Press Releases 06/29/2012
Rockefeller Says Transportation Bill Will Make Nation's Roads Safer
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today issued the following statement on Senate passage of the surface transportation bill.
Press Releases 06/28/2012
Rockefeller Remarks on Industry Self-Regulation and Privacy Protections
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Two months ago, we held a hearing in this room on the need for Internet privacy protections. We discussed how Americans are tracked each time they visit a website, watch a video, or make a purchase. Both the Obama Administration and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) testified that Americans have very few rights to protect their information online.
Press Releases 06/28/2012
Rockefeller Says Transportation Bill Will Protect Motorists and Save Lives
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today issued the following statement on a reauthorization agreement of the nation’s federal surface transportation programs:
Press Releases 06/26/2012
Rockefeller on Health Care Law Saving Consumers Over $1 Billion
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV released a statement today following the release of a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report showing consumers will save more than $1 billion thanks to health insurance company rebates. The rebates are a result of the “80/20 rule" in the 2010 health care reform law, which requires health insurance companies to spend a larger portion of their customers’ premium dollars on medical care.
Press Releases 06/21/2012
Rockefeller on Supreme Court's Decision on Indecency Standards
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s 8-0 decision today on the Federal Communications Commission's enforcement of its "fleeting expletives" policy:
Press Releases 06/21/2012
Rockefeller on Commerce Secretary John Bryson's Resignation
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement on Commerce Secretary John Bryson resigning as the Secretary of the Department of Commerce:
Press Releases 06/21/2012
Rockefeller Remarks on FAA Administrator Nominee Michael Huerta
Washington, D.C.—I want to congratulate you, Mr. Huerta, on your nomination to be the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). If confirmed, you will be charged with leading the most complex aviation system in the world and an agency that faces several critical challenges.
Press Releases 06/21/2012
Rockefeller Introduces Bill to Protect Soldiers from Foreclosure Abuses
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today said he will fight for passage of legislation to protect service members from losing their homes to banks and other lenders while they are deployed to battlefields in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere.
Press Releases 06/20/2012
Rockefeller Remarks on Future of Commercial Space
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United States has long been a world leader in using space for societal and commercial benefits. Satellites, for example, provide us with instant communication, the indispensable Global Positioning System – or GPS – for navigation, and weather data to inform forecasts that prevent loss of life and property. While the original investment for each of these examples came from the federal government, the commercial sector went on to make them profitable industries.
Press Releases 06/18/2012
Rockefeller on Bipartisan Call for Cybersecurity Action
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today issued the following statement regarding Senators Olympia Snowe and Mark Warner’s support for full Senate debate on cybersecurity legislation in a letter to Leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell:
Press Releases 06/14/2012
Rockefeller Introduces Telephone Bill Anti-Cramming Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV has introduced S.3291, the Fair Telephone Billing Act of 2012, a bill to protect consumers from unauthorized third-party charges being placed on their telephone bills. This practice, commonly referred to as “cramming,” was the subject of a year-long Senate Commerce Committee investigation which showed that cramming was a problem of epidemic proportions, costing millions of American consumers billions of dollars in unauthorized third-party charges over the past decade.
Press Releases 06/13/2012
Rockefeller on Commerce Secretary John Bryson's Medical Leave of Absence
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement on Commerce Secretary John Bryson taking a medical leave of absence:
Press Releases 06/13/2012
Rockefeller Asks Wireless Carriers for Information on Third-Party Charges
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV sent letters to four U.S. wireless telephone companies to better understand the magnitude of third-party charges on wireless telephone bills and what is being done to protect consumers from unauthorized charges. The practice, known as “cramming,” involves placing unauthorized third-party charges on consumers’ telephone bills.
Press Releases 06/12/2012
Rockefeller, Cummings Provide Summary of Gray Market Investigation
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter about the so-called “gray market” distribution network for short-supply prescription drugs to the House-Senate negotiators on legislation to reauthorize programs within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Press Releases 06/7/2012
Bipartisan National Security Experts Urge Passage of Senate Cybersecurity Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C.—A bipartisan group of national security experts sent a letter to Leaders Reid and McConnell urging swift action on cybersecurity legislation, writing that “protection of our critical infrastructure is essential in order to effectively protect our national and economic security from the growing cyber threat.”
Press Releases 06/6/2012
Rockefeller Remarks on the EU's Emissions Trading System
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) has elicited strong feelings from aviation stakeholders across the globe, which is why it is important that Congress examine its potential impact on international air travel. Secretary LaHood will provide us a much-needed perspective from the Administration. The United States has always led the world on aviation issues. Implementing policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should not be an exception to our legacy of leadership on aviation.
Press Releases 05/31/2012
Rockefeller Commends Bipartisan Safety Measures in Surface Transportation Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today applauded a group of parents, safety advocates, and pediatricians endorsing the Senate Commerce Committee's bi-partisan safety measures included in the Senate bill. Rockefeller also praised the strong work by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today to go after unsafe bus operators.
Press Releases 05/24/2012
Rockefeller Asks American Gas Association for Cybersecurity Standards
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today sent a letter to the American Gas Association requesting information on cybersecurity standards that were developed in 2006 and designed to protect industrial control systems from cyber attacks. A recent press report suggested that, although the standards were tested and supported by both government agencies and private organizations, the measures were not implemented because of the costs.
Press Releases 05/22/2012
Rockefeller on Suspicious Security Incident
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV released the following statement today after an incident on a U.S. Airways flight from Paris to Charlotte where a passenger was restrained after an on-flight threat that is currently being investigated:
Press Releases 05/18/2012
Rockefeller Asks Drug Distributor for Pricing Information
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today sent a letter to the pharmaceutical drug distributor H. D. Smith, requesting information about certain sales of prescription drugs. These transactions came to the attention of the investigating committees during their review of the distribution of short-supply drugs through so-called “gray market” distribution networks.
Press Releases 05/17/2012
Rockefeller Remarks on Tsunami Generated Marine Debris
WASHINGTON, D.C.— More than a year has passed since Japan suffered the Tuhoku earthquake and tsunami—one of the worst natural disasters of all time. As the devastating tsunami waves hit Japan, they literally swept thousands of people and their belongings tragically out to sea. The remains of some 25 million pounds of debris entered the ocean. Japan’s losses were far reaching.
Press Releases 05/16/2012
Rockefeller Remarks on Oversight of the FCC
WASHINGTON, D.C.—It is a pleasure to welcome our witnesses today – all FIVE members of the Federal Communications Commission. I want to say a special word of welcome to the two newest members of the FCC – Commissioners Rosenworcel and Pai. You are both excellent additions to the Commission, and I know your colleagues share my enthusiasm for having you on board. Today’s hearing gives Committee members an opportunity to convey our priorities and to hear from you about your efforts to protect consumers and carry out the public interest.
Press Releases 05/10/2012
Conservative Legal Scholar Backs Security Standards for Critical Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Leading conservative legal scholar Jack Goldsmith Thursday advocated for security standards for the nation’s most critical infrastructure to protect it from probes or attacks by hostile nations, terrorists, and other bad actors. In an opinion piece published on his blog Lawfare, which explores the intersection of law and national security, Goldsmith said critical infrastructure “is central to the security of the nation,” and noted that the Lieberman, Collins, Rockefeller, Feinstein cybersecurity bill is the only one in Congress that addresses critical infrastructure.
Press Releases 05/9/2012
Rockefeller Remarks on the Need for Privacy Protections
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Every day, tens of millions of Americans go on-line to search for information, shop, pay their bills, or access a social networking site. To state the obvious, the Internet has fundamentally transformed every aspect of our lives. What is less obvious is the level of information that is collected about us each time we visit a website, watch a video, send an email, or make a purchase.
Press Releases 05/8/2012
Rockefeller Remarks at Surface Transportation Reauthorization Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV issued the following prepared remarks at the opening meeting of the House-Senate Surface Transportation Reauthorization Conference:
Press Releases 05/8/2012
Rockefeller on FAA Whistleblower Claims
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller today released the following statement on the letter from the Office of Special Counsel about Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) whistleblower claims:
Press Releases 05/7/2012
Rockefeller Statement Following FCC Commissioners Vote
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm key Federal Communications Commission (FCC) nominations:
Press Releases 05/2/2012
Rockefeller Asks British Panel for Phone Hacking Information
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Sen. Jay Rockefeller today sent a letter to Lord Justice Brian Leveson, who is currently leading a special judicial investigation into phone hacking and other alleged illegal activities by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation. The letter asks Lord Leveson if his inquiry has uncovered any new information suggesting that News International’s conduct involved U.S. citizens or violated U.S. laws.
Press Releases 04/27/2012
House Cybersecurity Action Does Not Provide Comprehensive Protection
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The four Senate co-sponsors of bipartisan and comprehensive cybersecurity legislation – Senators Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. – issued the following reaction Friday to partial action in the House on cybersecurity.
Press Releases 04/27/2012
Rockefeller Statement on Lifting of Hold on FCC Nominees
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV issued the following statement:
Press Releases 04/27/2012
Rockefeller Supports Anti-Cramming FCC Vote
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to enact rules aimed at preventing phone companies from placing unauthorized third-party charges on their customers’ landline telephone bills.
Press Releases 04/27/2012
Rockefeller Statement on Youth Traffic Safety Month
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement of support for the designation of May 2012 as National Youth Traffic Safety Month.
Press Releases 04/26/2012
Rockefeller Statement on Consumer Savings from Insurance Company Rebates
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV released the following statement today following release of a report showing consumers will save more than $1 billion from insurance company rebates.
Press Releases 04/26/2012
Rockefeller Statement on Surface Transportation Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today released the following statement on the House-Senate conference on the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill (S. 1813).
Press Releases 04/25/2012
House Cyber Bills Are Not Enough
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The four lead sponsors of Senate legislation to protect the nation’s most critical networks said Wednesday that cybersecurity legislation to be debated in the House provides inadequate protection against malicious cyber intrusions or attacks. Senators Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., have introduced the Cybersecurity Act of 2012, to apply minimum security standards to the networks of the nation’s most critical infrastructure. They released the following joint statement:
Press Releases 04/24/2012
Rockefeller Remarks on the Emergence of Online Video
WASHINGTON, D.C.— This hearing is about the emergence of online video—and the power of broadband to change the way we watch. This is the start of an exciting and timely conversation.
Press Releases 04/18/2012
Rockefeller Statement Following Subcommittee Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV made this statement following today’s Surface Transportation, Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security Subcommittee hearing on “Protecting Commuters: Ensuring Accountability and Oversight in Tolling”
Press Releases 04/17/2012
Rockefeller Remarks on Promoting American Competitiveness
WASHINGTON, D.C.—I want to thank Senator Klobuchar for holding this important hearing today. The need for investment in the skills of the American worker is as great as ever.