Hearings

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing examining the so-called “gray market” drug companies who drive up the cost of short-supply prescription drugs. The hearing will explore how and why hospitals and other health care providers sometimes struggle to obtain short-supply prescription drugs they need to treat patients suffering from cancer and other life-threatening conditions. This hearing is the result of a joint Congressional investigation by Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing next week on “The Cable Act at 20.” This hearing is a follow-up to the Commerce Committee hearing on April 24, 2012, which examined the future of online video. The Committee will consider the impact of the Cable Television and Consumer Protection Act of 1992 on the television marketplace and consumers twenty years after its passage.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing next week on “Medication and Performance Enhancing Drugs in Horse Racing.” This hearing will examine the prevalence and use of medications and performance enhancing drugs in horse racing.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces the following hearing on the nomination of Mr. Michael P. Huerta to be Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing on the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS). This hearing will examine issues associated with the inclusion of the airline sector in the ETS, a program that caps greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) for certain industries in the EU, and its potential impact on U.S. air carrier operations.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Sen. John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV announced that the Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on “Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces a full committee hearing on “The Need for Privacy Protections: Perspectives from the Administration and the Federal Trade Commission”. This hearing will examine the recent privacy reports that were released by the Obama Administration and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Both of these reports highlighted the need for federal legislation that provides baseline privacy protections to consumers.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security announces a hearing entitled, “Protecting Commuters: Ensuring Accountability and Oversight in Tolling.” This hearing will explore the use of tolls on the nation’s bridges and tunnels, the need for transparency and accountability by the entities that set toll rates, and the need for equity among commuters, businesses, and the traveling public who use tolled facilities.