U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) lauded the Senate Appropriations Committee for fully funding a new railroad safety technology grant program, created by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

The committee passed the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, which includes $50 million for the Railroad Safety Technology grant program. Last month, Senators Boxer and Rockefeller sent a letter to the Appropriations Committee asking them to fully fund this critical grant program that provides funding for necessary safety improvements, including the installation of positive train control (PTC) – anti-collision technology.

Senator Rockefeller said, “In these tough economic times, with many commuter rail agencies facing budget cuts, funding for railroad safety technology grants is absolutely vital to ensure that important safety measures continue to be implemented. Life saving measures, such as positive train control, are crucial to moving millions of Americans safely and securely in to the 21st century. I applaud the Appropriations Committee for funding these rail safety grants and look forward to this legislation passing in the full Senate.”

Senator Boxer said, “We cannot afford to wait to install positive train control. This funding helps ensure that we can quickly install these technologies that will save lives. I thank the committee for including this critical funding, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bill through the Senate.”

The Rail Safety Improvement Act, which was signed into law in October 2008, also includes a provision championed by Boxer requiring the installation of PTC on railways shared by passenger and freight trains. Facts revealed by the National Transportation Safety Board investigation indicate that PTC could have prevented the tragic crash of a Metrolink commuter train and a freight train in Chatsworth, California last year.

The appropriations bill also includes $500,000 sought by Boxer to help Metrolink install PTC.

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a full committee hearing today on Climate Services: Solutions from Commerce to Communities. Witness List: The Honorable Gary Locke, Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce The Honorable John P. Holdren, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President Key ...

- Our climate shapes every aspect of our lives. It determines where we build our roads and homes. It affects our health and it controls the amount of energy we need. Over one-third of our nation’s Gross Domestic Product is affected by weather and climate. Climate change is happening—the scientists agree—we have observed rising temperatures and sea levels, reduced snow and ice...

- WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation released three letters seeking information regarding cooperative business arrangements, particularly in the health care arena. The letters were sent to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the National Cooperative Business Association, and the U.S. Department...

- WASHINGTON – The National Fraternal Order of Police has issued its support for legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, that would allow prisons to use technology to block usage of illicit cellular phones by convicts. The Safe Prisons Communications Act of 2009, S. 251, would p...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a full committee hearing today on nominations. Witness List: Mr. Christopher P. Bertram, to be Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs and Chief Financial Officer at the United States Department of Transportation Ms. Susan L. Kurland, to be Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International A...

- Good Afternoon, I want to welcome everyone to our hearing on five very important nominations. I am proud of the progress we have made in recent months, and I want to thank my colleagues for working swiftly to get these talented public servants where they belong—on the job for the American people. It is always very gratifying when an individual who has served on the Commerce Committee answ...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a full committee hearing today on Weathering the Storm: The Need for a National Hurricane Initiative. Witness List: Dr. Kelvin K. Droegemeier, Co-Chairman, Task Force on Hurricane Science and Engineering, National Science Board Dr. Richard W. Spinrad, Assistant Administrator, Office of Oceanic an...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today said the nation must find new ways to minimize hurricane damage and improve prediction and response capabilities. She spoke during a Commerce Committee hearing on the need for a national hurricane initiative to help communities to better weather stor...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As a nation, we depend on critical infrastructure and basic services everyday: We can talk to family and friends across the nation, drive on well-marked, safe roads, and rely on a robust public safety system to come to our aid in emergencies. But if we want to make sure that essential foundation is there when we need it most, we must continue to invest in cutting-edge technolog...

- WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued a subpoena to Vertrue, Inc. today following the company’s failure to provide relevant internal documents to the Committee. The subpoena requires Vertrue to produce documents that were explicitly requested by the Committee in May, including commu...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate confirmed the following nominees by unanimous consent on July 24, 2009: Ms. Mignon L. Clyburn, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Ms. Meredith Attwell Baker, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Ms. Deborah A.P. Hersman, to be Chairman and Member of the National Transportation Safety Board (N...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator John D (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued the following statement today regarding the confirmation of Ms. Mignon L. Clyburn and Ms. Meredith Attwell Baker, to be Members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). “I am incredibly pleased to see the President’s nominees, M...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), the Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today made the following statement after the Senate confirmed Meredith Atwell Baker and Mignon Clyburn, as commissioners for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). “With the confirmation of Ms. Baker and Ms. Clyburn, our nation finally ...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Jay Rockefeller has requested the Special Inspector General of the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) review the methodology of the General Motors (GM) and Chrysler decisions to terminate more than 2,000 dealership franchises across the country. “There is substantial confusion, even among dealers themselves, as to how GM and Chrysler selected dealersh...

- With this hearing, the committee continues to highlight the Federal Trade Commission’s role in protecting the American people, especially at a time of unprecedented economic crisis. Last week, we explored the increasing frequency and danger of economic fraud and financial scams during tough times. Today, we will examine deceptive advertising and its power to undermine consumers’ c...

- Television is a powerful force in children’s lives. Children in America typically watch between two and four hours of television every day. By the time they begin the first grade, they have spent what amounts to three school years in front of the television set. Let me be clear: When used for good, television programming can enlighten, entertain, and even teach. But when used f...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a subcommittee hearing today on Advertising Trends and Consumer Protection. Witness List: Mr. David Vladeck, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission Ms. Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Director for Technical...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a subcommittee hearing today on Rethinking the Childrens Television Act for a Digital Media Age. Witness List: Panel I The Honorable Julius Genachowski, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Panel II Mr. Gary Knell, Chief Executive Officer and President, Sesame Wor...

- WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement today after legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was approved by the Commerce Committee: “I am very pleased that this important legislation was quickly approved by the Committee and t...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, worked today to extend critical highway and vehicle safety programs authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The Senate Commerce Committee approved a bill to extend the Nation...

- Washington, D.C.—Today the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held an Executive Session and favorably reported out the following legislation and nominees: Nomination of Polly Trottenberg, to be Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy of the United States Department of Transportation (PN 549) Nomination of Deborah A.P. Hersman, to be Chairman and Memb...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), the Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, expressed strong concerns about the direction Congress is taking on the highway bill after the Commerce Committee approved an 18 month extension of the highway bill safety programs which expire on September 30. Although she supports the Commerce Commit...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today said she was pleased legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration was approved by the Commerce Committee. The Senate Finance Committee must complete a related tax title to address funding issues before the measure moves to the full ...

- Amarillo Globe-News By Editorial Board July 21, 2009 Texas prisons are dangerous places that are made even more dangerous by the presence of cell phones behind the razor wire and stone walls. A senator, Texas own Kay Bailey Hutchison, is working on legislation that enables states to jam cell phones inside prisons. This effort needs to result in law. Prison inmates smuggle c...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, spoke on the Senate floor to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. A link to the video and a full transcript of Sen. Hutchison’s floor speech are below. VIDEO AND FLOOR TRANSCRIPT Thank you, Madam President. ...

- WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement today honoring the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing: “Forty years ago, three brave NASA astronauts ventured into the unknown carrying an entire nation’s hopes and dreams with them. When Apollo 11 lan...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today recognized the 40th anniversary of America’s moon landing, when NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin’s lunar module touched down on the surface of the moon for the first time. “Forty years ago today, ...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), the Ranking Member on the Committee, joined together and urged the Department of Transportation to exercise its long-held statutory authority and expertise to determine if applications for airline anti-trust immunity are in the publi...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator John D (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Mr. Charles F. Bolden, Jr., to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Ms. Lori Garver, to be Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics ...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a subcommittee hearing today on Competition in the Health Care Marketplace. Witness List: Mr. Richard A. Feinstein, Director, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission Dr. Len M. Nichols, Director, Health Policy Program, New America Foundation Mr. David Balto, Senior Fellow, Center For ...

- Today’s hearing takes place as part of a broader effort to transform health care in this country. If we are serious about providing every American with access to affordable, meaningful health care coverage, we absolutely must start by confronting its soaring costs. The average American family today pays twice as much for its health care as it did a decade ago. And health care cos...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, sent letters to 11 different federal departments and agencies asking for information regarding their cybersecurity preparedness and the effectiveness of their incident response capability. Chairman Rockefeller and Senator Snowe recently introduced bipa...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today during a Commerce Committee hearing pushed to allow prisons to block calls from smuggled inmate cellular phones. Senator Hutchison earlier this year introduced bipartisan legislation, the Safe Prisons Communications Act of 2009 (S. 251), that would p...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today said she was pleased the Senate approved Charles Bolden to be the next NASA Administrator. “I am pleased the Senate has confirmed Charles Bolden to be the next NASA Administrator,” said Senator Hutchison. “General Bolden has t...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation continued the fight for American consumers and held a subcommittee hearing today on The Economy and Fraud: Protecting Consumers During Downward Economic Times. Witness List: The Honorable Chris Koster, Attorney General, State of Missouri Mr. David Vladeck, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Fed...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Chairman of the Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Subcommittee Byron Dorgan (D-ND), and Ranking Member of the Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Subcommittee Jim DeMint (R-SC) joined together today to in...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today introduced legislation to engage the private sector and encourage investment in the deployment of broadband, also known as high-speed Internet. “Too many of our communities and small businesses still lack access to broadband infrastructur...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV and Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison issued the following statements after Christopher P. Bertram was nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs and Chief Financial Officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation. “Mr. Bertram brings a ...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today said she was pleased that that the Department of Transportation and Secretary Ray LaHood approved Continental Airlines’ application to join the Star Alliance travel network. Star Alliance was established in 1997 as a worldwide alliance comprise...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced a Senate Commerce Committee investigation on May 27, 2009 into certain e-commerce marketing practices that generate thousands of mysterious monthly charges to consumer credit cards. Today, Senator Rockefeller sent a letter to the President of Affini...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a full committee hearing yesterday on nominations. Nominations Include: Panel I Mr. Charles F. Bolden, Jr., to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ms. Lori Garver, to be Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ...

- Washington, D.C.—Today the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held an Executive Session and favorably reported out the following legislation: S. 588, Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2009 S. 649, Radio Spectrum Inventory Act S. 668, Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2009 S. 1194, Coast Guard Authorizati...

- Washington, D.C.--Good Afternoon, I want to welcome everyone to our hearing on the five critical nominations of very talented public servants. Each one of these talented individuals will be responsible for leading the way forward at very different agencies -- the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Department of Transportat...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today expressed strong concerns to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood that the Administration’s proposed 18 month extension of federal highway law, which expires on September 30, would perpetuate existing funding formulas that penalize Texas and o...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today offered her strong support for the nominees to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Charles Bolden and Lori Garver for confirmation as NASA Administrator and Deputy Administrator. She submitted the following statement for the...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today approved several bills cosponsored by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Committee, that would strengthen the safety and security of America’s ports and improve the nation’s maritime commerce. The Coast Guard Authorization Act (S. 1194) would authorize $9.5 billion for ...