Senate Commerce Committee Issues Report on Activities During 117th Congress (Part 4 of 4)

WASHINGTON, May 26 -- The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee issued a report (S.Rpt. 118-21) on its activities during the 117th Congress. The report was advanced by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, on May 10, 2023.

(Continued from Part 3 of 4)

* * *

H. Subcommittee on Space and Science

The Subcommittee on Space and Science has jurisdiction over national and civil space policy; legislation and oversight of science, technology, engineering, and math research, development, and policy; and standards and measurement. The subcommittee conducts oversight of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation, the Department of Commerce Office of Space Commerce, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Space Council, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the United States Arctic Research Commission.

MEMBERS DURING THE 117TH CONGRESS/21/ /22/

--

/21/ In addition to the members listed for each individual subcommittee, the Chair and Ranking Member of the full Committee serve as ex officio members of all subcommittees.

/22/ Senator Sinema announced in December 2022 that she would switch her party affiliation to become an Independent but plans to still caucus with the Democrats.

--

Democrats:

Senator Hickenlooper (Chairman)

Senator Blumenthal

Senator Markey

Senator Peters

Senator Sinema

Senator Lujan

Senator Warnock

Republicans:

Senator Lummis (Ranking)

Senator Cruz

Senator Fischer

Senator Moran

Senator Young

Senator Lee

Senator Scott

ACTIVITIES

The Subcommittee on Space and Science secured passage of legislation in all areas of the subcommittee's jurisdiction. The subcommittee managed numerous bills reviewed by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Of the many bills referred to the Committee in the 117th Congress, 21 were within the subcommittee's jurisdiction, including 15 packaged with the Endless Frontier Act. Of these, 12 bills referred to the Committee became public law, including 11 packaged in the CHIPS and Science Act and 1 packaged in the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.

HEARINGS

This subcommittee held 6 hearings, including 1 field hearing and 1 joint hearing, during the 117th Congress.

Date...Title

July 22, 2021 Space Situational Awareness, Space Traffic Management, and Orbital Debris: Examining Solutions for Emerging Threats

August 23, 2021* Collaboration and Competition in Space: Ushering in a New Era

October 21, 2021 International Collaboration and Competition in Space: Oversight of NASA's Role and Programs

February 9, 2022 NASA Accountability and Oversight

September 29, 2022 Securing U.S. Leadership in Emerging Compute Technologies December 1, 2022 Landsat at 50 and the Future of U.S. Satellite- based Earth Observation

*Field hearing.

Joint full Committee hearing.

LEGISLATION

Bills reported favorably out of Committee:

Space

S. 4814, the ORBITS Act of 2022, would direct the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to publish a list of identified orbital debris that pose the greatest immediate risk to the safety and sustainability of orbiting satellites and on-orbit activities in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the National Space Council, and nongovernmental stakeholders. NASA is directed to carry out research and development related to orbital debris, and will establish a competitive active orbital debris remediation demonstration program. The National Space Council and other relevant agencies are directed to update Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices every 5 years. The Secretary of Commerce is directed to facilitate the development of standard practices for space-traffic coordination. (Passed the Senate with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) by unanimous consent, was received in the House and held at the desk, and a message on Senate action was sent to the House.)

Science

S. 451, the Composites Standards Act of 2021, would direct the Director of NIST to implement the recommendations in the 2017 report "Road Mapping Workshop Report on Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Composites in Sustainable Infrastructure". It also creates a pilot program to assess the feasibility of adopting composite technology in sustainable infrastructure. (Placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 208.)

S. 735, the Advanced Technological Manufacturing Act, would amend the Scientific and Advanced Technology Act of 1992 to further support advanced technological manufacturing. The bill would work to improve technician education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. It also directs the Director of NSF to establish a program to expand the number of institutions of higher education that are successfully able to compete for NSF grants. (Placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 198.)

S. 1037, the Manufacturing.gov Act, would establish a section of the website of the Department of Commerce to serve as a hub of information relating to Federal manufacturing programs. The website would contain contact information for relevant Federal programs, serve as an avenue for public feedback, and contain issue-area webpages. (Passed the Senate with an amendment by unanimous consent. Received in the House and held at the desk.)

S. 1260, the Endless Frontier Act, would enhance U.S. competitiveness in research, development, technology development, and innovation, while maximizing the participation of underserved regions and groups. It would establish a new Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the National Science Foundation; establish a regional technology hub program at the Department of Commerce; require a strategy and report on economic security, science, research, innovation, manufacturing, and job creation; and establish a critical supply chain resiliency program at the Department of Commerce, among other purposes. (Passed the Senate, under the order of 5/28/21, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, with an amendment by yea-nay vote (68-32). Record vote number: 226.)

S. 1260 contained the following bills:

S. 637, the Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act, would authorize the National Science Foundation to establish a 2-year pilot program to award grants to qualified early-career investigators to carry out an independent research program at an institution of higher education. Investigators from groups underrepresented in scientific research and investigators who choose to carry out their research at a minority-serving institution would receive priority under the pilot program.

S. 735, the Advanced Technological Manufacturing Act. This bill would require the National Science Foundation to conduct internal pilot programs in order to expand the number of institutions of higher education that can successfully compete for grants, including community colleges; review the results of the pilot programs; and develop best practices for their implementation.

S. 996, the Improving Minority Participation And Careers in Telecommunications Act, would establish the Telecommunications Workforce Training Grant Program at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). This program would award grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), or a consortium of such schools, that partner with a defined industry or labor group, to develop a training program designed to educate and train students to participate in the telecommunications workforce. Grantees could use this funding to hire and train faculty, design courses and degree programs, pay for costs of instruction, and recruit and support students. This section would authorize $100 million for this grant program, and specify that at least 30 percent of grant funding go to HBCUs, and at least 30 percent go to TCUs.

S. 997, the Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy Act. The legislation would establish the Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Policy to provide perspective and advice to the President, and to provide for efforts to ensure global leadership in manufacturing.

S. 1044, the National Manufacturing Advisory Council for the 21st Century Act, would establish the National Manufacturing Advisory Council within the DOC to advise the Secretary, provide a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to problems in the manufacturing industry, and ensure communication between the government and the manufacturing sector in the United States to ensure U.S. competitiveness.

S. 1106, the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, would prohibit any person from possessing, transporting, offering for sale, selling, or purchasing shark fins or products containing shark fins. This bill would not apply to those shark fins used for noncommercial subsistence, displays, or research, or other permitted uses for a non- commercial purpose. This bill would also not apply to dogfish (Mustelus canis or Squalus acanthias).

S. 1161, the Quantum Network Infrastructure and Workforce Development Act, would require the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology to carry out research to facilitate the development of quantum networking and communications technologies; direct the National Science Foundation to establish a pilot program titled the "Next Generation Quantum Leaders Pilot Program; to provide funding for the education and training of students in quantum mechanics; and require the Quantum Networking Working Group to submit a report to Congress detailing a plan for the advancement of quantum networking and communications technology.

S. 1213, the National Strategy to Ensure American Leadership (SEAL) Act, would require the Secretary of Commerce to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the top 10 emerging science and technology challenges faced by the United States and develop recommendations to address them.

S. 1240, the Manufacturing USA Expansion Act, would authorize appropriations to expand the Manufacturing USA program, require coordination with existing Manufacturing USA institutes and the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and establish a worker advisory council for the Manufacturing USA Program.

S. 1257, the AI Scholarship for Service Act, would establish a Federal Artificial Intelligence (AI) scholarship-for-service program to recruit and train AI professionals to lead and support AI in Federal and local governments. It would require the program to offer scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in programs of study related to AI in exchange for 3 years of work in the public sector after completion of their degree.

S. 1374, the Rural STEM Education Act, would direct the National Science Foundation to support research regarding STEM education in rural schools; require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to award prizes to stimulate research to deploy affordable and reliable broadband connectivity in rural communities; and direct the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a broadband research and development working group.

S. 1379, the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act, would require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to award grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations to expand research efforts on the factors contributing to, and consequences of, sexual harassment in the STEM fields; establish an interagency working group to coordinate efforts to reduce sexual harassment involving grant personnel; and require the Director of the National Science Foundation and the Comptroller General of the United States to each complete a study and report the results to Congress.

S. 1395, the Advancing IoT for Precision Agriculture Act of 2021, would direct the Comptroller General of the United States to produce a report providing a technology assessment of precision agriculture innovations and review Federal programs that support precision agriculture; and expand the definition in National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Program to include agriculture-related technology.

S. 1418, the Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2021, requires the President, through the Office of Science and Technology Policy, to implement a National Engineering Biology Research and Development Initiative.

S. 1563, the Telecommunications Supply Chain Diversity Promotion Act, would authorize the appropriation of $20 million to the NTIA to establish a testbed to develop and demonstrate the viability of innovative supply chain technologies and applications for open wireless network architectures. The legislation would also authorize the appropriation of $30 million to the Department of Commerce to create a grant program to provide financial assistance to U.S. companies to defray the costs of their participation in eligible standard-setting bodies for the formation of open network architecture standards.

S. 3290, the National MEP Supply Chain Database Act of 2022, would require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish a national supply chain database as a resource for domestic manufacturers. The Director would create and maintain this database through the Hollings MEP program, as an integrated version of individual State MEP Center databases. The Director would ensure that the database provides a national overview of the networks of supply chains in the United States and helps manufacturers better understand and respond to potential supply chain disruptions. (Placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 598. Enacted in part by the CHIPS and Science Act.)

S. 3309, the Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act of 2021, would direct the Executive Director of the SelectUSA program of the Department of Commerce to gather and analyze information for a report to Congress about leveraging foreign direct investment to bolster domestic supply chains for semiconductors. (Passed/ agreed to in the Senate with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) by unanimous consent.)

S. 3434, the Strengthening Support for American Manufacturing Act, would direct the Department of Commerce to contract with the National Academy of Public Administration to conduct a study and make a report to Congress on the Department's manufacturing programs, their merits, limits, and statutory authorities. The study and report should analyze and make recommendations to optimize the management and impact on Department of Commerce manufacturing programs. (Placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 627.)

S. 4109, the National R&D Strategy for Distributed Ledger Technology Act of 2022, would direct the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a national strategy for research and development of distributed ledger technologies and their applications. This strategy will be developed in coordination with the National Science and Technology Council, the heads of other research and development Federal agencies, and done in consultation with nongovernmental entities. The Director of the National Science Foundation is directed to make competitive awards to institutions of higher education to support research and development of distributed ledger technologies and their applications. The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology may carry out an applied research project to study and demonstrate the benefits and capabilities of distributed ledger technologies. (Placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 630.)

I. Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports

The Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports has jurisdiction over interstate surface transportation policy, maritime, and freight issues. In addition to the subcommittee's broad oversight of the Department of Transportation, the subcommittee has oversight over the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Surface Transportation Board, the Maritime Administration, the Federal Maritime Commission, and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. The subcommittee also oversees the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, known as Amtrak.

MEMBERS DURING THE 117TH CONGRESS/23/

--

/23/ In addition to the members listed for each individual subcommittee, the Chair and Ranking Member of the full Committee serve as ex officio members of all subcommittees.

--

Republicans:

Senator Peters (Chairman)

Senator Klobuchar

Senator Blumenthal

Senator Schatz

Senator Markey

Senator Baldwin

Senator Duckworth

Senator Tester

Senator Warnock

Democrats:

Senator Fischer (Ranking)

Senator Thune

Senator Blunt

Senator Sullivan

Senator Young

Senator Johnson

Senator Capito

Senator Scott

Senator Lummis

ACTIVITIES

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation worked to address COVID-19 impacts on the surface transportation system, invest in our Nation's transportation system to improve commutes and improve the flow of goods, and address supply chain congestion at our Nation's ports. The subcommittee continued to work to offset the impacts of COVID-19 on Amtrak to ensure the continuation and recovery of the Nation's intercity rail transportation system. Additionally, the subcommittee played a key role in the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provides a historic investment in our Nation's transportation infrastructure. Finally, the subcommittee worked to address freight congestion that has increased and delayed the delivery of goods for families, and hindered American farmers and manufacturers from getting their goods to market.

COVID-19 Relief The subcommittee ensured Amtrak received the funding it needed to continue service and recall workers facing furloughs due to the pandemic. On March 11, 2021, the President signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) into law./24/ This legislation provided Amtrak with $1.7 billion and required the company to restore service to routes it had cut due to the pandemic and to recall furloughed workers. The funds also provided relief to States who fund State-supported routes.

--

/24/H.R. 1319 was not reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

--

Infrastructure Investment

The Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports played a significant role in setting the foundation for the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684). On June 16, 2021, the Commerce Committee reported Senators Cantwell and Wicker's Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021 (STIA) out of Committee. This legislation was combined with the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works' S. 1931, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021, to form the base of the infrastructure law.

STIA authorizes the Department of Transportation's surface transportation programs and policy related to multimodal infrastructure, freight, rail, highway and motor vehicle safety, commercial vehicle safety, transportation research, and other programs for fiscal years 2022 through 2026, and for other purposes. The legislation provides a total of $78 billion over 5 years through a combination of highway trust fund contract authority and authorization of appropriations.

The Surface Transportation Investment Act (STIA) of 2021 would build on the reforms made by the FAST Act of 2015, while taking action to address current and continued issues facing the U.S. surface transportation system, which include the following:

Aging and deteriorating transportation infrastructure. The Nation's surface transportation system--including highways, maritime ports, and rail systems that move people and freight--is under growing strain. In 2021, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the Nation's infrastructure an overall grade of C- and estimated that the backlog for road and bridge needs alone was $786 billion. STIA provides a significant increase for multimodal surface transportation projects, authorizing the popular RAISE (formerly known as BUILD grant program), creating a new grant program for large multimodal projects, and reducing the environmental impacts of transportation infrastructure by improving culverts.

Growing freight demand. The Nation's freight transportation system moves 51 million tons of agricultural, industrial, and retail goods worth more than nearly $52 billion each day. DOT estimates that freight shipments will increase by 22.4 percent within the next 20 years. This significant growth will occur where congestion, including through ports and at bottlenecks on highways across the country, slows the movement of goods and adds to economic and environmental costs. To focus DOT's freight efforts across the various agencies, the legislation creates a multimodal freight office that is led by a new Assistant Secretary. Additionally, the bill makes important reforms to INFRA to focus the program more on freight projects and improve access for multimodal projects.

Reversing crash and fatality trends on the Nation's highways. Traffic fatalities were projected to increase more than 7 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, after declining for 3 consecutive years. This increase occurred as vehicle miles traveled decreased in 2020, due in large part to people driving less because of stay-at-home orders issued in many States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in fatalities was seen in all regions of the country and on both rural and urban roads. Longer term highway safety trends are also distressing, such as a 35 percent increase in the number of crashes involving large trucks over the last 10 years. To address these trends, the bill directs DOT to require the adoption of advance safety technologies such as, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and drunk driving prevention technologies. The bill also creates a safe street program that would support local efforts to create and advance Vision Zero or Road to Zero safety plans.

Passenger Rail Investments. Passenger rail has suffered from years of underinvestment in comparison to other modes of transportation. Additionally, the main source of Federal funding for passenger rail projects has been through sporadic discretionary grants from the Federal Railroad Administration. In comparison to the FAST Act, this legislation provides a significant increase in passenger rail funding.

Ocean Shipping Reform

The subcommittee conducted significant oversight over ocean shipping and maritime supply chain challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The subcommittee considered and the full Committee passed S. 3580, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act,/25/ to strengthen the role of the Federal Maritime Commission, including requiring rulemakings to address challenges faced by U.S. importers, and exporters such as agriculture producers. The legislation banned certain charges facing shippers, improved invoicing and transparency to lower cost and improve oversight, and addressed retaliation of foreign carriers on U.S. shippers, among other provisions.

--

/25/Public Law 117-46.

--

HEARINGS

This subcommittee held 4 hearings, including 1 field hearing, during the 117th Congress.

Date...Title

April 27, 2021 Driving Innovation: the Future of Automotive Mobility, Safety, and Technology

May 11, 2021 Freight Mobility: Strengthening America's Supply Chains and Competitiveness

December 7, 2021 Uncharted Waters: Challenges Posed by Ocean Shipping Supply Chains

March 28, 2022* Made in America: The Future of Automotive Innovation and Semiconductor Chips

*Field hearing.

LEGISLATION

Bills reported favorably out of Committee: S. 2016, the Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021, which was incorporated as division B of H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117-58) S. 3262, the FREIGHT Act S. 3580, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 117-46) S. 4357, the Maritime Administration Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023/26/

--

/26/S. 4357 was ordered to be reported favorably in the 117th Congress, but it was not filed.

Bills and provisions included in H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021:/27/

--

/27/H.R. 1319 (Pub. L. 117-2) was not reported by the Committee, but it included S. 369, a bill that was referred to the Committee.

S. 369, A bill to authorize and appropriate funding for grants to Amtrak for the restoration of long- distance routes and the rehiring of employees

--

furloughed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bills and provisions included in S. 2016, the Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021:

S. 376, Safe RIDE Act of 2021

S. 468, Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act

S. 469, Promoting Women in Trucking Workforce Act

S. 508, A bill to establish a working group on electric vehicles

S. 605, Stop Underrides Act (partially included)

S. 651, STAT Act

S. 652, Moving and Fostering Innovation to Revolutionize Smarter Transportation Act (partially included)

S. 659, DRIVE Safe Act (partially included)

S. 786, Stop for School Buses Act

S. 792, HAULS Act of 2021 (partially included)

S. 955, Right Track Act (partially included)

S. 1268, PARK IT Act (partially included)

S. 1331, RIDE Act of 2021

S. 1386, Protecting Roadside First Responders Act (partially included)

S. 1406, Stay Aware for Everyone Act of 2021

S. 1413, Modernizing Seat Back Safety Act

S. 1416, PARTS Act of 2021

S. 1465, Railroad Crossing Elimination Act

S. 1529, SAFE Limos Act

S. 1551, SCOPE Act

S. 1629, COMMUTE Act

S. 1681, Promoting Service in Transportation Act

S. 1818, Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Equity Act

S. 1852, BRAIN TRAIN Act (partially included)

S. 1853, Motorcyclist Advisory Council Act of 2021

S. 1985, ROUTES Act

S. 2007, Furthering Advanced and Inclusive Research for Crash Tests Act

S. 2062, SAFE TRAINS Act

S. 2137, Rural Transportation Equity Act of 2021 (partially included)

S. 2309, A bill to improve the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program, and for other purposes

Bills and provisions included in S. 3580, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022:

S. 3262, the FREIGHT Act

S. 3556, LICENSE Act of 2022 (partially included)

Bills and resolutions discharged from Committee and passed the Senate:

S. 623, Sunshine Protection Act of 2021

S. Res. 190, A resolution recognizing 50 years of service by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, commonly known as Amtrak.

S. Res. 382, A resolution expressing support for the designation of the week of September 20 through September 26, 2021, as "Rail Safety Week" in the United States, and supporting the goals and ideals of Rail Safety Week to reduce rail-related accidents, fatalities, and injuries.

S. Res. 798, A resolution expressing support for the designation of the week of September 19 through September 25, 2022, as "Rail Safety Week" in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Rail Safety Week to reduce rail-related accidents, fatalities, and injuries.

J. Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion:

The Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion focused primarily on the state of the travel and tourism industry, which was profoundly disrupted during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The subcommittee held six hearings to examine the state of the industry. These hearings highlighted the importance of the travel and tourism industry to the U.S. economy and what Congress can do to help revive and strengthen the industry.

MEMBERS DURING THE 117TH CONGRESS/28/ /29/

--

/28/In addition to the members listed for each individual subcommittee, the Chair and Ranking Member of the full Committee serve as ex officio members of all subcommittees.

/29/Senator Sinema announced in December 2022 that she would switch her party affiliation to become an Independent but plans to still caucus with the Democrats.

--

Republicans:

Senator Rosen (Chair)

Senator Klobuchar

Senator Duckworth

Senator Tester

Senator Sinema

Senator Hickenlooper

Democrats:

Senator Scott (Ranking)

Senator Sullivan

Senator Blackburn

Senator Johnson

Senator Capito

Senator Lummis

ACTIVITIES

The Committee advanced the Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act of 2021 (S. 3375), several provisions of which were enacted into law. The Committee also advanced the Restoring Brand USA Act (S. 2424), which was enacted into law.

HEARINGS

This subcommittee held 8 hearings during the 117th Congress.

Date Title

April 13, 2021 The State of Travel and Tourism During COVID

May 18, 2021 Reviving International Travel and Tourism to Create and Restore Jobs

May 25, 2021 Investing In America's Tourism and Hospitality Workforce and Small Businesses

June 15, 2021 The State of Outdoor Tourism, Recreation, & Ecotourism

September 21, 2021 Legislative Solutions to Revive Travel and Tourism and Create Jobs

February 15, 2022 Enhancing U.S. Trade and Promoting American Exports to Create Jobs

June 7, 2022 Reviving Conventions & Tourism Through International Travel

July 12, 2022 Examining the 2022 National Travel and Tourism Strategy

* * *

LEGISLATION

Bills reported favorably out of Committee:

S. 3375, Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act of 2021 K. Oversight and Investigations

ACTIVITIES

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate engaged with numerous agencies to investigate whistleblower complaints and to provide oversight.

Federal Aviation Administration

On December 13, 2021, Chair Cantwell released the Commerce Committee's Aviation Safety Whistleblower Report, detailing the accounts and concerns of seven whistleblowers who contacted the Committee to share their experiences at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing, and other aviation manufacturers.

The report amplifies whistleblower accounts which illustrate an erosion of safety oversight by the FAA, and compliance by aviation manufacturers, in the aircraft design, production, and certification processes. Such accounts report incidents of undue pressure from industry to shortcut approvals, failure of FAA and industry managers to listen to line engineers, and chronic understaffing and decreasing technical expertise at the FAA's Boeing Aviation Safety Oversight Office (BASOO). Chair Cantwell wrote a letter to former FAA Administrator Steve Dickson to urge FAA to review the whistleblower concerns and implement appropriate improvements to aviation safety in response.

As a demonstration of the Committee's ongoing oversight, the report is a continuation of the Committee's investigations into the design and certification of the Boeing 737 MAX, and calls for FAA's swift implementation of key provisions passed in the aviation safety reform law to improve the aircraft certification ecosystem. The Committee will continue its oversight of the FAA's implementation of ACSAA and will hold hearings in preparation for the FAA's reauthorization in 2023.

Investigations and Threat Management Service

In the first half of 2021, Committee majority and minority staff conducted an investigation into the Investigations and Threat Management Service (ITMS), a security office within the Department of Commerce, over claims of misconduct and abuse of its authority. Committee staff conducted numerous interviews and sent multiple letters to DOC seeking insight and corrective action. These efforts and the related report issued in July 2021, by Ranking Member Wicker, prompted the Department to conduct an internal investigation, which led to the elimination of the ITMS by the Department of Commerce.

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

In October 2021, Committee majority and minority staff conducted an investigation into the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) based on multiple whistleblower allegations of bullying, retaliation, and a hostile work environment by its leadership.

Federal Communications Commission

In September 2021, Committee majority staff conducted a review on accountability of broadband deployment and accuracy of broadband mapping to determine whether Federal funds were properly spent.

* * *

The report is posted at: https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/118th-congress/senate-report/21/1?s=2&r=12

TARGETED NEWS SERVICE (founded 2004) features non-partisan 'edited journalism' news briefs and information for news organizations, public policy groups and individuals; as well as 'gathered' public policy information, including news releases, reports, speeches. For more information contact MYRON STRUCK, editor, [email protected], Springfield, Virginia; 703/304-1897; https://targetednews.com