Republican News

Press Releases 11/15/2016
Thune Urges FCC to Stop Work on Controversial Items
Sen. John Thune, in a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler, urged the agency to stop work on controversial new orders that could create confusion if reversed and would be subject to review next year.
Press Releases 11/10/2016
Commerce to Convene First Congressional Hearing on Augmented Reality
Expert witnesses testifying at the first congressional hearing on augmented reality will introduce to the committee the potential applications and policy considerations of this rapidly-developing technology.
Press Releases 10/6/2016
Thune Statement on FCC IG Report Concluding that Chairman Wheeler Initiated Lifeline Leak
Sen. John Thune issued the following statement on findings by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) inspector general that FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler authorized his staff to discreetly disclose details of non-public information to select media outlets about ongoing deliberations to reform the Lifeline program.
Press Releases 10/3/2016
Senate and House Requestors Issue Statement on GAO Political “Burrowing” Review Findings
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that approximately one quarter of Obama administration political appointee conversions to career federal civil service positions reviewed by GAO did not follow proper procedures intended to prevent improper political favoritism.
Press Releases 09/30/2016
Thune to FCC: Don’t Keep FCC Set-top Box Proposal Secret
U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) urged the Federal Communications Commission to publicly release its revised proposal for new regulation of pay-TV set-top boxes by issuing a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM).
Press Releases 09/22/2016
Surface Transportation and Maritime Security Act Addresses TSA Vulnerabilities
S. 3379, the Surface Transportation and Maritime Security Act, addresses deficiencies in the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) efforts to protect rail, transit, highway, and maritime passenger and freight transportation identified through congressional oversight and a recent report by the Department of Homeland Security inspector general.
Press Releases 09/21/2016
Commerce Announces Second FTC Oversight Hearing on September 27 - Postponed
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance & Data Security, will convene a hearing on Tuesday, September 27, 2016,* at 2:00 p.m. entitled, “Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission: Perspectives From Beyond the Commission.”
Press Releases 09/21/2016
Commerce Approves NASA Transition Act, BOTS Act, and 3 Other Bills
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today approved five bills, including the NASA Transition Authorization Act which advances deep space exploration, the journey to Mars and the International Space Station for fiscal year 2017.
Press Releases 09/20/2016
Thune Statement on the Release of Federal Automated Vehicles Guidelines
“As we move closer to a future of automated vehicles, regulators will need to oversee advancements in safety technology without hampering innovation,” said Thune.
Press Releases 09/16/2016
Commerce Committee Senators Introduce The NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2016
U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) announced the introduction of S. 3346, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Transition Authorization Act of 2016. The legislation provides stability for NASA to sustain and build upon existing national space investments designed to advance space exploration and science with an overall authorization level of $19.508 billion for fiscal year 2017.