Republican News

Press Releases 03/8/2021
Committee Leaders Urge FCC to Quickly Produce Accurate Broadband Maps
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and John Thune, R-S.D., ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, along with U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Robert Latta, R-Ohio, ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, today sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel inquiring about the agency’s status on completing its mapping process to ensure accurate broadband data collection.
Press Releases 03/5/2021
Committee Members Urge Consumer Product Safety Commission to Issue Compliance Guidelines to Combat Furniture Flammability
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, along with Reps. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., Morgan Griffith, R-Va., Bobby Rush, D-Ill., and Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., who are members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today sent a letter to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Acting Chairman Robert Adler regarding the development and implementation of regulatory guidelines related to furniture flammability consistent with S. 1341, the Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act (SOFFA).
Press Releases 03/4/2021
Wicker, Blackburn Introduce Bill to Promote Broadband and Connectivity Priorities
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., ranking member of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, today introduced the Broadband Reserve Fund Act. This legislation would require the net proceeds from the C-Band spectrum auction to be deposited into a reserve fund at the Department of Treasury to be used to expand broadband access and digital opportunity, modernize the nation’s communications infrastructure, and meet other connectivity priorities. These funds would be available for Congress to authorize for use by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Press Releases 03/3/2021
Wicker, Peters Reintroduce FLOODS Act
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports, today introduced the Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support (FLOODS) Act to establish a National Integrated Flood Information System. The legislation would improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) forecasting and communication of flood, tornado, and hurricane events.
Press Releases 03/2/2021
Wicker Asks President to Support U.S. Coast Guard in FY2022 Budget
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today sent a letter to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. requesting that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s budget request for fiscal year 2022 continue to support the U.S. Coast Guard’s recapitalization efforts, account for increased operations costs, and adequately address shore side infrastructure investment needs.
Press Releases 03/2/2021
Wicker Seeks Information on FCC Program Supporting Rural and Underserved Communities
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel requesting information regarding the full funding capabilities that the FCC has at its disposal for the agency’s Universal Service Fund (USF) program. The USF program is a user-fee-based support program that subsidizes broadband and telephone services in high-cost areas for low-income households, schools and libraries, and rural health-care facilities.
Press Releases 03/1/2021
Wicker Sends Letter to TSA Administrator on Quiet Skies Program
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today sent a letter to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David Pekoske urging swift implementation of the recommendations included in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) highly critical report on TSA’s management of the Quiet Skies program. The OIG found that TSA did not properly plan, implement, and manage the program, and the report issued two recommendations that address the lack of performance metrics to ensure accountability and oversight.
Press Releases 02/26/2021
Wicker Statement on Charges Against Former Olympic Gymnastics Coach
Press Releases 02/25/2021
Wicker, Boozman Support FMC Efforts to Resolve Issues Facing U.S. Supply Chain
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and John Boozman, R-Ark., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today sent a letter to Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Michael Khouri expressing support for the FMC’s current efforts to address the supply chain disruptions occurring at major U.S. ports.
Press Releases 02/24/2021
Senators Reintroduce National Ocean Exploration Act
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., ranking member and chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, today reintroduced the National Ocean Exploration Act. The bill would authorize the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council, update national priorities for ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization, and direct the Council to coordinate and facilitate activities across federal and non-federal entities to advance those priorities.