WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced seven measures and six nominations.
The following actions were taken during today’s Executive Session:
Nominations advanced by a roll call vote:
Nomination of Thomas B. Chapman, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board
- 28 Yeas, 0 Nays
Nomination of David Cummins, of Virginia, to be the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
- 15 Yeas, 13 Nays
Party-Line Vote
Nomination of Edward Eppler, of Connecticut, to be Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Transportation
- 15 Yeas, 13 Nays
Party-Line Vote
Nomination of Karen Jean Hedlund, of New York, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board
- 28 Yeas, 0 Nays
Nomination of Brien Lorenze, of Virginia, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission
- 15 Yeas, 13 Nays
Party-Line Vote
Nomination of Karen Sessions, of Texas, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission
- 15 Yeas, 13 Nays
Party-Line Vote
Legislation advanced by a voice vote:
S. 1759, Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act as amended by the Budd substitute
S. 3258, Aviation Medication Transparency Act of 2025 as amended by the Duckworth substitute
S. 3885, Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act as amended by the Budd substitute, as modified, and Markey 1, as modified
S. 4429, Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 as amended by the Moreno substitute, as modified, and Cantwell 1, as modified
S. 4448, Accelerating Broadband Permits Act of 2026 as amended by the Thune-Lujan substitute, as modified
S. 4691, Disaster Communications Coordination and Preparedness Act
S. 4802, Hurricane Hunter Aircraft Recapitalization Act as amended by the Cantwell-Cruz substitute
Chairman Cruz’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are as follows:
“This morning’s markup is a reminder that the legislative process—as messy as it can be—is alive and well at the Commerce Committee. Most of the bills before us bring technical expertise to bear on difficult problems. They are the product of members working through disagreement to find consensus.
“That’s essential on a committee that oversees technical agencies like the FAA, NOAA, and NTIA. We need expertise to address particular public challenges, but Congress can’t simply outsource its legislative responsibilities to seemingly neutral administrators. The people, through their elected representatives, must remain in charge of their government.
“The Connected Vehicle Security Act illustrates that challenge. This bill, introduced by Senator Moreno and Senator Slotkin, would shield the American automobile market from vehicles, software, and hardware from foreign entities of concern.
“The national-security risks are real, but so are the dangers of writing an indiscriminate measure. My hope is that, with some tweaks, this bill can put forth a durable framework to address national security risks without hamstringing industry competition.
“The aviation bills on today’s markup agenda also reflect the balance between legislating and administrative expertise.
“Senator Budd’s Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act, cosponsored by Senators Tillis, Lee, and Sheehy, would modernize the FAA’s prohibition on civil supersonic flight over land. It would allow aircraft to exceed Mach 1 when no sonic boom reaches the ground.
“Senator Duckworth’s Aviation Medication Transparency Act, introduced with Senator Hoeven, would require the FAA to publish and regularly update a user-friendly list of medications approved for pilots and air traffic controllers.
“And Senator Welch’s Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act, introduced with Senator Budd and a bipartisan group of colleagues, would bring predictability to the FAA’s aircraft certification process.
“Turning to communications, Senator Thune’s Accelerating Broadband Permits Act, introduced with Senators Luján and Barrasso, would bring transparency to the BEAD program and help agencies meet existing deadlines for processing applications.
“Aviation and communications overlap in the disaster preparedness space. Senator Sheehy’s Disaster Communications Coordination and Preparedness Act, introduced with Senator Klobuchar, would require the FCC to review how it provides notice when the Disaster Information Reporting System is activated. The Hurricane Hunter Aircraft Recapitalization Act, which Ranking Member Cantwell and I introduced along with Senators Blunt Rochester, Wicker, Padilla, and Budd, would codify NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter fleet.
“I’ll add that I have been pleased to have Dean, a Hurricane Hunter pilot, serving on detail with my staff for the past year and a half. He quite literally flies into the eye of the storm.
“His service is a reminder of why expertise matters. Last summer’s devastating flash floods in Central Texas, including the loss of young women at Camp Mystic, reminded us that the quality of our weather forecasts and emergency management systems really matters.
“The same principle applies to our bipartisan slate of nominees. These positions require competence and judgement. Today, we will consider Thomas Chapman to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board; Edward Eppler to be Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Transportation; Karen Hedlund to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board; Brien Lorenze to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission; Karen Sessions to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission; and David Cummins to be Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
“These executive officials remain accountable within our constitutional system. That makes the Senate’s advice-and-consent responsibility all the more important.
“I have every confidence in the nominees before us and intend to support their confirmations.”
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