Republican News

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, will convene a hearing titled, “An Evaluation of FirstNet’s Progress,” at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 24, 2020. The hearing will examine FirstNet and AT&T’s progress on building a nationwide public safety broadband network. The hearing will also review the Government Accountability Office’s most recent oversight report on FirstNet that was released in January 2020.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a hearing titled, “Revisiting the Need for Federal Data Privacy Legislation,” at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. This hearing will examine the current state of consumer data privacy and legislative efforts to provide baseline data protections for all Americans. The hearing will also examine lessons learned from the implementation of state privacy laws in the U.S. and the E.U. General Data Protection Regulation, as well as how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected data privacy.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today approved seven bills and six nominations, which are now all subject to approval by the full Senate

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, chairman of the Subcommittee on Security, will convene a hearing titled, “U.S. Coast Guard Capabilities for Safeguarding National Interests and Promoting Economic Security in the Arctic,” at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. This hearing will examine how the United States Coast Guard (USCG) 2019 Arctic Strategic Outlook is being resourced through acquisition plans, training exercises, and infrastructure investments and the importance of USCG presence in the Arctic as commercial sea traffic increases.

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, introduced the Forensic Science Research and Standards Act of 2020. The legislation would ensure that forensic analyses used in criminal investigations are founded on rigorous science and yield evidence that judges, prosecutors, defendants, and juries can trust. It would also encourage the development of forensics standards for identifying artificial digital content, known as “deepfakes.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today introduced the FAA Accountability Enhancement Act. The legislation would establish the Office of the Ombudsman and the Office of Professional Responsibility in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), rename and reorganize the Aviation Safety Whistleblower Investigation Office, and bolster misconduct investigations and discipline management to enhance accountability across the agency.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene an executive session on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 9.45 a.m. in Russell Senate Office Building 325 to consider the following legislative measures and nominations:

U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., today introduced the Online Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity Act to modify Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The legislation would clarify the original intent of the law and increase accountability for content moderation practices.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, along with Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, today released the following statements upon the unanimous Senate passage of S. 2299, the Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2019. The legislation would reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) pipeline safety program for four years and provide important advances in new safety technology and regulatory reform.

U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Gary Peters, D-Mich., today introduced the Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support (FLOODS) Act to establish a National Integrated Flood Information System.