December 17, 2011
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV issued the following statement regarding ongoing efforts to create a nationwide public safety communications network:
December 15, 2011
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1540) adopted by the Senate today included tough new measures to fight waste, fraud, and abuse in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV authored these measures after a Commerce Committee investigation found evidence that funds awarded through these two technology innovation programs were being misused.
December 15, 2011
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV and Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, joined Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in his investigation of “gray market” companies that trade in drugs in critically short supply.
December 15, 2011
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Good morning. We’re holding this hearing today to discuss the potential environmental risks of genetically engineered fish. The hearing could not be timelier: as I speak, the FDA may be finalizing approval of the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption in the U.S. This is truly ground breaking and for many, this is concerning. The “AquaAdvantage” salmon has been engineered to grow faster and heartier than its natural counterpart by mixing genes from three different fish species, so its filets can quickly get from the fish pen to your dinner table.
December 14, 2011
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV issued the following statement today:
December 14, 2011
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Senate unanimously approved the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011, which will strengthen pipeline safety oversight by the federal government and address long-standing safety issues.
December 14, 2011
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that highway deaths fell to 32,885 for the year, the lowest level since 1949. The record-breaking decline in traffic fatalities occurred even as American drivers traveled nearly 46 billion more miles during the year. Importantly, our decade-long effort to reduce drunk driving is making a real impact. Deaths in crashes involving drunk drivers dropped almost 5% in 2010. Despite generally positive trends, all the news was not good. DOT noted that fatalities rose among pedestrians, motorcycle riders, and large truck occupants.
December 8, 2011
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV issued the following statement today after the Commerce Committee voted in favor of sending key Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) nominations to the full Senate for its consideration:
December 8, 2011
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today’s hearing is about the future of the Internet. Starting in January, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, commonly referred to as ICANN, is planning to allow organizations and companies to apply for any generic or brand-specific top level domain name they wish. This means that hundreds—if not thousands—of new names are going to join the familiar world of “dot com,” “dot net,” and “dot org.” Get used to “dot hotels” or “dot auto” or “dot movie,” a surge of new names and addresses that create opportunities but could also create a lot of confusion.
December 8, 2011
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and John D. (Jay) Rockfeller IV, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee announced today that they introduced the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act, a bill that reauthorizes the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and makes important improvements to federal truck and bus safety standards.