Ranking Member Cantwell Delivers Opening Statement at Nomination Hearing for Michael Kratsios to Lead OSTP & Mark Meador as FTC Commissioner

 VIDEO | AUDIO

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation delivered the following opening statement at today’s nomination hearing for Mark Meador to serve as a Federal Trade Commissioner Michael Kratsios to lead the Office of Science and Technology.  

Senator Cantwell:

“We'd like to start – and obviously we're going to hear from our colleagues – but I will try to be short with my opening remarks. Mr. Meador, for the Federal Trade Commission, as you just mentioned, the Federal Trade Commission has a very big responsibility on antitrust enforcement, including the five years that you spent at the FTC. And I think you know that it's not just another regulatory agency. It's a front line defender of very complex consumer marketplace issues.

“I read in your testimony that you really do believe it's about competition in the marketplace. I do too. I do too. I don't think we can talk enough around here about competition. And competition gets you great innovation, just like we just saw, and it also gets you the opportunity to help us grow our economy and lift more people into the middle class.

“But obviously markets sometimes have anti-competitive practices and unfair or deceptive practices. And the FTC, I believe, is a critically important organization. Things like the COPPA rule that protects children's privacy.  … [And] its actions to block anti-competitive mergers resulting in high consumer prices,  like the Kroger-Albertsons merger, which is a very big issue in the Pacific Northwest for farmers and consumers. And the litigation against PBMs, my colleague Chuck Grassley and I just reintroduced legislation on this.

“So, with consumers facing increased prices for everything, like food, prescription drugs, gasoline, I do believe it's the FTC’s authority to examine business practices and make sure that there is not an artificial inflation of prices and hold businesses accountable when they do harm consumers or competitors.

“The statistics are alarming. The FTC data shows that in 2023 consumers reported losing $10.4 billion to fraud, with a median loss of $500. This is money consumers don't have to spend on groceries or rent…  [O]ne day at the airport, I overheard a constituent talking about how her aunt had become exploited by an AI trick where she thought Kevin Costner was going to come to visit her. And she had shelled out tens of thousands of dollars too…  [W]hen I brought this up to Facebook—Meta---they basically said, ‘Oh, yeah, that's the biggest thing going on now.’

“[W]ith AI, you're just going to where that you know people have money.  Why basically say ‘your software is broken on your computer and you need to send me $100 to fix it,’ when you can basically promise somebody that Kevin Costner is going to come to SeaTac and visit you, and you will pay them tens of thousands of dollars.

“So, we definitely need an FTC to be the policeman on the beat and continue to make sure that these pressures facing consumers are addressed.  I look forward to your conversation.  

“Turning to the second nominee, Mr. Kratsios, thank you for wanting to serve again in a capacity I think that you know very well. The CHIPS and Science Act, passed by strong bipartisan support from this Committee, recognizes America's scientific enterprise [is] the foundation of the future. But obviously, there are many things that we need to do to continue to test bed next generation technologies. I'm a very big believer in that the private sector is the main engine of our innovation and capital markets, and that the United States even being outsized by some countries still is not really an issue if, in fact, we educate and skill the talent and can innovate faster than they can.

“So, this notion of test beds and hubs and laboratory research, I will be asking you about in the Q&A part of our questions. These opportunities for us to play our part on the broader R&D issues is something I believe that the Office of Science and Technology is so critical to do.  As President Trump’s nominee, you will be the chief scientist advising during this period of remarkable technology change, and I think that that is why the United States must keep a very fast innovation pace, ahead of our competitors.

“Since you are no stranger, I know you'll know more about how to work those levers, but I do need to hear from you today that you will be forceful on the investments that we would like to see in innovation. I know that the Trump Administration has said that they plan to slash the budget of the National Science Foundation by two-thirds while implementing sweeping layoffs. I think these are questions that we'll need to know the answer to.  In my state, the University of Washington, obviously, a big R&D institution, feels like it's continuing to help us uncover those important issues that benefit all sectors and increase America's competitive advantages.

“I hope that, as my colleague brought up quantum, that we will be able to continue the National Quantum Initiative started under you and your administration. I was just looking up the quote that you gave when $625 million was awarded to various innovative hubs related to quantum out of the DOE budget. I was glad to see that you were very enthusiastic about the federal government playing a role on broad quantum R&D policies.

“But no doubt, we're in a global race. I know America is up to it. I look forward to asking you how we continue to make these investments together and collaborate on actually getting the science implemented. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

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