Republican News

Press Releases 03/15/2022
Wicker Calls for Oversight Review on COVID-19 Broadband Spending
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today urged the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to conduct an oversight review into pandemic-related spending to ensure broadband funds were used appropriately for assisting unserved communities and those economically affected by the pandemic.
Press Releases 03/15/2022
Senators Introduce Bill to Improve Tornado Forecasting Following Devastating Outbreak
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, along with U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., John Thune, R-S.D., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, today introduced the Tornado Observation Research Notification and Deployment to Operations (TORNADO) Act to improve the forecasting and understanding of tornadoes and other hazardous weather. The TORNADO Act would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to update its methods for communicating alerts to residents in the surrounding areas.
Press Releases 03/10/2022
Wicker Leads Call to End Federal COVID Travel Restrictions, Mask Mandates
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today led 31 senators in a letter to President Biden urging the Administration to lift travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators called for an end to pre-departure testing requirements for travel to the U.S. and the federal mask mandate for travel. The current mandate for masks is expected to expire on March 18 if it is not extended by the Biden Administration.
Press Releases 03/8/2022
Wicker, Grassley Seek Information Regarding Potentially Illicit Methods ITMS Used to Gain Special Deputy Marshal Authority
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., ranking member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, today sent a letter to United States Marshals Service (USMS) Director Ronald Davis seeking additional information regarding the potentially illicit methods the Investigations and Threat Management Service (ITMS) office took to gain special deputy marshal status.
Press Releases 03/3/2022
Wicker, Thune Request FCC Provide More Information on Future Spectrum Auction Opportunities
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, today sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel requesting information on future spectrum auction opportunities and policy reforms that can be made to auction rules to promote international competitiveness, maximize spectrum use efficiency, and foster the rapid deployment of next-generation technologies. The agency’s statutory authority to conduct spectrum auctions is set to expire later this year, absent Congressional action.
Press Releases 02/9/2022
Wicker Questions Gigi Sohn’s Potential Service as FCC Commissioner
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today delivered the following remarks during a second nominations hearing to consider Gigi Sohn to be Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC):
Press Releases 02/7/2022
Wicker Urges Administration to Promote Streamlined Permitting, Approval Processes to Expedite Broadband Deployment
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today sent a letter urging Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor to President Joseph Biden for Infrastructure Coordination, to work with states and localities to promote more streamlined permitting processes in advance of the distribution of more than $42 billion in grants for broadband deployment.
Press Releases 02/3/2022
Wicker Questions IRS Security System Requiring Taxpayers to Submit Video Selfie
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today sent a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig requesting information about the IRS’s transition to an account security system that will require taxpayers to submit a video of their face to a private company, ID.me, to verify their identity. This system has raised significant data privacy and security concerns, given the sensitivity of both the facial recognition data and the taxpayer information it is meant to secure.
Press Releases 01/28/2022
Committee Leaders Once Again Urge President to Prioritize Data Privacy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., ranking member of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, along with Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, today sent a letter urging President Joseph Biden to work with Congress to enact a nationwide consumer privacy and data security law this year.
Press Releases 01/28/2022
Senators Raise Concerns Over New Treasury Broadband Rule
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today joined 10 colleagues in a letter to U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to raise concerns regarding the recently-announced final rule for broadband infrastructure funding through the Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds. The Senators are also urging Secretary Yellen to ensure broadband funding focuses on unserved areas throughout the country.