WASHINGTON –  The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today approved 16 bills and the nominations for Wilbur Ross to be Secretary of Commerce and Elaine Chao to be Secretary of Transportation.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the committee, issued the following statement:

“We hit the ground running at our first markup of the 115th Congress. Our committee approved 16 bills and the nominations of Wilbur Ross to be Secretary of Commerce and Elaine Chao to be Secretary of Transportation by voice vote. I would like to thank members on both sides of the aisle for their cooperation in today’s markup. With this bipartisan endorsement, the Senate should now move forward on confirming both Secretary Chao and Mr. Ross to President Trump’s cabinet."

Bills and nominations approved are as follows (all approved by voice vote):

Agenda:
 
1.    Rules Governing the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

2.    Budget Resolution for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

3.    S. 19, MOBILE Now Act, Sponsors: Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
              a. Thune-Nelson substitute
              b. Heller 3

4.    S. 81, Senior Fraud Prevention Act of 2017, Sponsors: Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine)

5.    S. 88, Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things (DIGIT) Act, Sponsors: Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)

6.    S. 89, A bill to amend title 46, United States Code (Delta Queen bill), Sponsors: Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), John Boozman (R-Ark.)

7.    S. 96, Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act, Sponsors: Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.)

8.    S. 102, Securing Access to Networks in Disasters (SANDY) Act, Sponsors: Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
             a. Cantwell substitute, modified

9.    S. 110, the Digital Coast Act, Sponsors: Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Cory Booker (D-N.J.)

10.    S. 123, Kari’s Law Act, Sponsors: Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas)

11.    S. 129, the National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2017, Sponsors: Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)

12.    S. 134, Spoofing Prevention Act, Sponsors: Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
             a. Nelson-Fischer 1

13.    S. 141, Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act, Sponsors: Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
             a. Peters 1

14.    S. 168, Commercial Vessel Incidental Discharge (VIDA) Act, Sponsors: Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), John Thune (R-S.D.)

15.    S. 171, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments and Hydrographic Services Improvement Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2017, Sponsors: Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.D.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
             a. Sullivan substitute (modified)

16.    S.174, Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act, Sponsors: Sens. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)

17.    H.R. 255, Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act, Sponsors: Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.) and 44 other representatives

18.    H.R. 321, Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act, Sponsors: Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) and 68 other representatives

19.    Elaine Chao, of Kentucky, to be Secretary, Department of Transportation

20.    Wilbur Ross, of Florida, to be Secretary, Department of Commerce