- Washington, D.C.—Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, a strong supporter of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, commended its passage in the U.S. Senate by a vote of 92 to 4. “This is about protecting families from fraud that has plagued the mortgage and financial industries, contributing to a nationwide economic crisis,” said Senator Rockefeller, a cosponsor of the legis...

- WASHINGTON, DC – Senator John D (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s First 100 Days in Office: “President Obama and his team have proven that they can hit the ground running, from boosting the economy to beginning the process of updating our transportation ...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), the Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, received praise for her legislation to allow states to opt out of the Federal Highway Program from Ned S. Holmes, Texas Transportation Commissioner and Chairman, Transportation Transformation Group. Under the legislation, opt-out states wo...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security Subcommittee hearing today on The Future of National Surface Transportation Policy. Senator John D (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, was unable to attend today&rsqu...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), the Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, made the following statement today during a Commerce Committee hearing on the future of surface transportation. “Thank you Mr. Chairman. I do thank you for holding this hearing today. It is the first hearing of this committee to consi...

- WASHINGTON, DC – 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 Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision today on the Federal Communications Commissions "fleeting expletives" policy. “I am encouraged by the Supreme Court’s decision today to reverse the ruling ...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – To eliminate the long-obsolete Federal Highway Program funding formula, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Texas’ senior Senator, today introduced legislation that will allow states to opt out of the federal program. Rather than receiving funding for highway maintenance and construction via the federal formula, opt-out states would instead be rebated gas tax d...

- WASHINGTON, DC – Senator John D (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s announcement of new members on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST): “This advisory council will help us take science out of the laboratory and into ...

- 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 FAA’s disclosure of bird strike data: “I am pleased that the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation released the data regarding bird strikes. I have been in touch with the FAA...

- Washington, D.C. —Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV has introduced legislation that will facilitate nationwide adoption of electronic health records, particularly among small, rural providers. The Health Information Technology Public Utility Act of 2009 will build upon the successful use of “open source” electronic health records by the Department of Veterans Affairs as well ...

- 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 nominations reported out by the Committee today: “I am extremely impressed with the caliber of individuals President Obama nominated to run these vital positions in our government. The President and I agree that ...

- Washington, DC – Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following opening statement regarding nominees put before the committee today: “I wish to congratulate all of you on your nomination for positions in the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), the United States Department of Commerc...

- Chairman Stupak and Ranking Member Walden, I would like to thank you for inviting me to testify at this important hearing. I am sorry I am not able to appear in person, but appreciate your offer to accept my written statement and include it in the hearing record. Your Subcommittee has a long history of conducting tough, probing, bipartisan investigations into the way our laws are administered...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has postponed the hearing scheduled for Wednesday April, 22, 2009 on the Reform of the Federal Communications Commission. Additional information will be made available once the hearing is rescheduled.

- 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 Obama administration’s announcement of its strategic plan for high-speed passenger rail development: “As Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, I applaud President Obama and his administration fo...

- 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. flagged cargo vessel MAERSK ALABAMA seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia: “The recent news of Somali pirates hijacking a U.S. flagged cargo vessel MAERSK ALABAMA is of great concern. This is th...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), the Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today released the following statement regarding the Department of Transportation’s tentative approval to allow Continental Airlines to join with the Star Alliance partners. “This is a great day for Texas travelers, and I congratu...

- Washington, D.C. –Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV sent a letter today to the United States Coast Guard requesting that they release key findings in the Bayer CropScience chemical explosion investigation without compromising national security. The Coast Guard has been working with the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigations Board (CSB) to determine the cause and reaction to the Aug...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has held two full committee hearings on Deceptive Health Insurance Industry Practices – Are Consumers Getting What They Paid For? Rockefeller sent letters late yesterday to 18 different health insurance companies asking them what data they use to dete...

- 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 resignation of NASA Inspector General Robert Cobb: “Only a few short weeks ago, Senator McCaskill and I expressed deep concerns to President Obama that the NASA Inspector General, Robert Cobb, had been re...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) today announced the introduction of comprehensive cybersecurity legislation to address our nation’s vulnerability to cyber crime, global cyber espionage, and cyber attacks that could potentially cripple the United States&rsq...

- Key lawmakers are pushing to dramatically escalate U.S. defenses against cyberattacks, crafting proposals that would empower the government to set and enforce security standards for private industry for the first time. The proposals, in Senate legislation that could be introduced as early as today, would broaden the focus of the governments cybersecurity efforts to include not only military ne...

- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held the second of two full committee hearings on Deceptive Health Insurance Industry Practices – Are Consumers Getting What They Paid For? These hearings focused on the way that the healthcare industry calculates “usual and customary” reimbursement rates for consumers who choose to receive ca...