Hearings

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet will hold a hearing on April 9, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. titled “State of Rural Communications.” This hearing will examine the current state of rural communications and challenges facing companies serving rural consumers.

The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Science and Space will hold a hearing on March 20, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. titled “Assessing the Risks, Impacts, and Solutions for Space Threats.”

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing on March 12, 2013 at 2:45 p.m. titled “Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission.”

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing on February 27, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. entitled “The Power of Transparency: Giving Consumers the Information They Need to Make Smart Choices in the Health Insurance Market.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV announced that the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a field hearing on “Pipeline Safety: An On-the-Ground Look at Safeguarding the Public.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, chaired by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), will hold a hearing next week on “Superstorm Sandy: The Devastating Impact on the Nation’s Largest Transportation Systems.” This hearing will examine the impact of Superstorm Sandy on the Northeast region’s transportation systems, including the extensive damage and operational disruptions to the region’s rail and port infrastructure, the response in the wake of the storm, and the need to reinvest in the region’s transportation networks.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a field hearing in Alaska on “Preparing for Offshore Drilling in the Arctic: Lessons Learned from the First Season.” This hearing will examine the operational lessons to be learned following the first season of exploratory drilling activity in the Arctic.

WASHINGTON, D.C.--The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing on “Five Years of the America COMPETES Act: Progress, Challenges, and Next Steps.” This hearing will examine implementation of the COMPETES Act and challenges in maintaining the United States’ leadership in innovation and technology.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing to examine the rule that allows many online retailers to be exempt from state sales tax laws. Based on the Supreme Court’s decision in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, states are prohibited from collecting sales taxes from online retailers who do not have a physical presence in their state. As a consequence, local retailers who compete with online companies are at the mercy of a 6-10% price disadvantage, and state and local governments are deprived of billions of dollars in revenue. Bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller is pending in the Senate that would eliminate this price disadvantage on local retailers and would provide states with the ability to enforce their existing state and local sales and use tax laws in a manner that does not unduly burden e-commerce.