Hearings

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security will hold a field hearing in Bridgeport, Connecticut on Monday, October 28 at 10:00 a.m., titled, “Power Outage on Metro-North’s New Haven Line: How to Prevent Future Failures Along Passenger Rail’s Busiest Sector.” This hearing will explore the causes of the recent power outage on Metro-North’s New Haven Line, which resulted in significant delays and service reductions for nearly two weeks. The purpose of the hearing is to understand what went wrong, how it could have been prevented, and the economic impact of this major service disruption.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a nominations hearing on Thursday, September 19, 2013, at 10:00 a.m.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet will hold a field hearing on Monday, August 19, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. in Little Rock, Arkansas, entitled, “Connecting Urban and Rural America: The State of Communications on the Ground”. Testimony will focus on the state of communications in Arkansas, including issues facing telecommunications and media companies that provide service in the state. In addition, the hearing will focus on how broadband can improve consumer welfare by expanding opportunity and access to services like telemedicine, education and business development.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will hold a hearing on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. titled, “Energy Drinks: Exploring Concerns About Marketing to Youth”. Chairman Rockefeller is interested in learning more about the concerns expressed by pediatricians and other public health experts about the health risks energy drinks could pose to children and teenagers. Among the leading voices concerned about the marketing of energy drinks to kids is the American Medical Association (AMA). Last month, the organization voted to support a ban on the marketing of energy drinks to children and teens under the age of 18.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will hold a hearing on Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. titled, “The Partnership Between NIST and the Private Sector: Improving Cybersecurity”. The hearing will explore the public-private partnership that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is convening to allow private sector companies to promote cybersecurity standards and best practices to protect the nation’s most critical systems. The hearing will also explore proposals to improve cybersecurity research and development, workforce training and education, and public awareness.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. titled, “Cruise Industry Oversight: Recent Incidents Show Need for Stronger Focus on Consumer Protection.” At the hearing, Rockefeller will review the current state of consumer protection in the cruise industry in light of recent safety and security incidents that endangered thousands of Americans travelling aboard cruise ships.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard will hold a hearing on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. titled, “New England and Mid-Atlantic Perspectives on Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization.” The hearing will explore the progress made to date and the ongoing challenges faced in transitioning to sustainable fisheries management in New England and the Mid-Atlantic since the 2006 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Testimony from managers, fishermen, academics, and other stakeholders is expected to explore the impacts the MSA amendments have had on U.S. fisheries in these regions, as well as recommend potential changes to the Act for Congress to consider.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance will hold a hearing on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. titled, “The Expansion of Internet Gambling: Assessing Consumer Protection Concerns.” The hearing will explore the consumer protection implications of the legalization of intrastate online gaming.