Commerce Announces Subcommittee Hearing on Passenger Rail
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), chair of the Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security Subcommittee, will hold a hearing titled “Passenger Rail: Opportunities and Challenges for the National Network” on Tuesday, February 23, at 9:45 a.m. Witnesses will testify on local, state, and federal efforts to strengthen state-supported and long-distance passenger […]
Commerce Announces Subcommittee Hearing on Fisheries Management Law
WASHINGTON – The Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the law that guides the management of federal fisheries, on Tuesday, February 23, at 2:30 p.m. The hearing will examine the fishery law’s successes, challenges, and future on the 40th anniversary of its […]
Nelson Statement on NTSB’s Launch of a Second Search Mission to find El Faro’s Voyage Data Recorder
The NTSB announced today that it will be sending a team of investigators back to the site of the cargo ship El Faro to search again for the ship’s missing data recorder. The decision comes less than a month after U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees […]
Committee Leaders Introduce Bipartisan MOBILE NOW Act
“The MOBILE NOW Act is our passport to a 5G future of gigabit wireless connectivity,” said Thune.
A Victory for the Internet, Entrepreneurs and Consumers: Senate Passes Bill to Ban Internet Access Taxes
“The passage of this bill is a victory for the Internet, entrepreneurs and consumers,” said Thune. “Keeping the Internet tax free is key to our efforts to connect more Americans to the Internet, particularly in rural areas, and to advance to the next generation of connectivity. Passage of this legislation creates an immediate new incentive for investment in broadband infrastructure in areas lacking high-speed broadband.”
Nelson Presses NHTSA to Speed Up Phase Out of Takata Ammonium Nitrate Airbag Inflators
WASHINGTON – In a letter sent today to the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, is asking the agency to immediately halt the continued manufacture and sale of defective Takata ammonium nitrate airbag inflators, while also prodding it to […]
Legislation Introduced to Give FAA Power to Ban Potentially Dangerous Lithium-ion Battery Shipments
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, filed legislation today giving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the power to ban bulk shipments of potentially deadly lithium-ion batteries from passenger airliners. Specifically, Nelson’s bill would repeal a ban Congress enacted in 2012 prohibiting the FAA from imposing restrictions on transporting […]
Coast Guard Reauthorization Enacted into Law
President Obama signed into law H.R. 4188, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015. The bill will reauthorize the Coast Guard for two years.
Thune to Keynote Conference on 5G Wireless Leadership
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will deliver a keynote speech for “The Next Generation of Wireless: 5G Leadership in the U.S.” conference taking place Tuesday, February 9, 2016, at the Reserve Officers Association located at One Constitution Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. Thune’s […]
Five FCC Commissioners to Testify March 2
“From video policy to spectrum, the FCC’s decisions have an enormous effect on the future of our technology economy,” said Thune. “This hearing presents an opportunity for committee members to raise issues with the agency’s top decision makers and evaluate the need for legislative initiatives.”