Senate Commerce Committee

Sen Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, called on Senate colleagues to reject Trump nominee Mark Meador for a spot on the Federal Trade Commission after firing the two Democratic Commissioners without cause and undermining the FTC’s independence and history of protecting consumers from fraud, scams and anti-competitive practices, free from political influence. “Ninety years ago, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law that affirmed that FTC Commissioners should be protected and removed only for cause,” 

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) is demanding answers from the artificial intelligence nonprofit, Future of Privacy Forum, over its having used federal grant money to advocate for states to adopt AI laws. Sen Cruz raises concerns about the group’s advocacy for AI regulations aligned with the Biden administration’s political agenda, such as policing speech and embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in AI code. He is also reviewing FPF’s federal grants amid concerns that the organization attempted to obscure its support for Biden’s AI regulatory agenda.

On March 25, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to request that the Department of Defense turn over any Biden-era documents referring to the Federal Communications Commission's spectrum auction authority. In the letter, Sen Cruz details allegations that Biden-era DOD officials pressured defense contractors to lobby against reauthorizing auction authority.

The Senate Commerce Committee advanced  14 bills and two nominations, Mark Meador to be a Federal Trade Commissioner (Roll call vote: 20 Yeas, 8 Nays) and Michael Kratsios to be the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (Roll call vote: 24 Yeas, 4 Nays). The approved legislation covers a wide swath of the Commerce Committee’s broad jurisdiction, including, oceans, space exploration, consumer protection, semiconductor manufacturing, and industrial supply chains. The legislation, passed by voice vote, includes:

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced the Subcommittee assignments for the 119^th Congress. Chairman Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell are ex officio members on each subcommittee.

Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chairman

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.)

Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.)

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.)

Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.)

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.)

The Senate voted 51-45 to confirm Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary, putting in place a billionaire Wall Street veteran turned avowed protectionist to lead the president’s global trade agenda. The former chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services firm, ran the personnel operation for Trump’s presidential transition. Lutnick, age 63, took the reins at Cantor in 1991. He stepped down following the confirmation vote. President Trump has said the secretary will lead the second-term trade portfolio as well as oversee an agency of roughly 47,000 employees.

Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, announced staff promotions and senior staff positions for his committee office for the 119th Congress. 

The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee overwhelmingly approved 17 bipartisan bills and the nomination of Howard Lutnick to be Secretary of Commerce. The legislation passed touches almost all aspects of the Commerce Committee’s wide jurisdiction including transportation, weather and emergency forecasting, consumer protection and fee transparency, manufacturing and supply-chain resilience, oceans and fisheries, promoting tourism, and protecting children online. In addition to the nomination of Howard Lutnick, the committee approved bills including: