▶ 0:23:12Chair Cruz: Good morning. And senate committee on science, commerce, and transportation will come to order. Today we have four nominations, eight bills, and 200 and 50 coast guard promotions. Following up on last wednesday's hearings, we will consider the nominations of david fink for administrator of the federal railroad administration, robert gleason for amtrak board of directors, david fogel for secretary of commerce and secretary general of U.S.
▶ 0:23:43Chair Cruz: Commercial foreign service, and pierre gentin for the department of commerce. A fifth generation railroader, david fink led pan am railways when it was the largest in the country, maintaining low work accident rates than the average competitor.
▶ 0:24:04Chair Cruz: If confirmed as the fra administrator he will direct the agency to prioritize safety as its priority -- primary mission, championing safety technologies to ensure that federal grants support rail safety projects. It is no surprise that shippers, short line railroads, and passenger rail associations have all expressed support for his nomination.
▶ 0:24:30Chair Cruz: Robert gleason, nominated to the amtrak board, will ensure that taxpayer money is spent responsibly to improve passenger rail. His decades long public service on transportation commissions in pennsylvania has prepared him for the job. He has promised to approve -- improve amtrak transparency, a priority for members of the committee.
▶ 0:24:52Chair Cruz: The commerce month -- nominees also bear support for a background in trade, promotion, and the state department export import tax. David fogel has prepared to increase american exports as director general of the U.S. foreign commercial service and will help secure better trade deals, including by reducing nontariff barriers, like foreign regulations that led the U.S.
▶ 0:25:15Chair Cruz: To import $3 billion in beef from australia last year while exporting none in return. Wippes act pierre gentin --pierre gentin most recently served as the chief legal officer at mckinsey. As the general counsel of the department of commerce, he will advise the legal authorities supporting the reallocation of specter.
▶ 0:25:44Chair Cruz: He reminded us last week at the hearing that "there is no question that the spectrum reallocation statutes include very robust and strong protections for national security." as general counsel, he assures me that these strictures will be reserved. Turning to today's legislation, we have bills to protect consumers.
▶ 0:26:13Chair Cruz: The house goods shipping consumer protection act introduced by senators fisher and duckworth cracked down on cargo theft and fraud by restoring the federal motor carrier safety administration's civil penalty authority for commercial regulations. The wippes act, cosponsored by senator markey, tries to present -- prevent wastewater facilities from receiving blockages and equipment damages by making sure they are properly labeled.
▶ 0:26:45Chair Cruz: The combating trafficking transportation act, introduced by senators blackburn and klobuchar, aims to raise greater awareness of human trafficking in transportation. The committee is also supporting scientific research. The water research optimization actively authorizes the national water center that serves as the national hub for water related research, forecasts, and emergency response coordination.
▶ 0:27:14Chair Cruz: Senator sullivan's north pacific research board enhancement act supports marine research in alaskan water. The anchor act requires the national science foundation to develop a plan to improve telecommunications of the U.S. academic research fleet.
▶ 0:27:33Chair Cruz: The national landslide preparedness reauthorization act of 2020 five, cosponsored by ranking member cantwell authorizes appropriations to mitigate land sites. Once again, the legislation and nominees we are advancing today deserve bipartisan support. I now turn to the ranking member.
▶ 0:27:53Sen. Cantwell: Our committee, as you mentioned, is considering four nominations, coast guard nominations and eight bills to improve customer consumer protection cybersecurity against supply chain disruptions and wastewater infrastructure with river forecasting, modeling, and landslide mitigation.
▶ 0:28:18Sen. Cantwell: As with the recent markups this year, several on the agenda are the ones we consider last congress and I am pleased to support them today. The north pacific research board, from senators sullivan and murkowski, will alleviate current constraints and add new board members. The action will allow the board to maintain the administrative capacity to do its work.
▶ 0:28:42Sen. Cantwell: The committee is also considering the anchor act, requiring the director of the national science foundation to improve infrastructure in the cybersecurity protections of our academic research fleet. This is such an important issue as it relates to these important academic resources.
▶ 0:29:04Sen. Cantwell: We are considering the optimization act from the senators to strengthen the national weather service forecasting abilities and increasing resiliency as we deal with flooding.
▶ 0:29:18Sen. Cantwell: The house goods shipping consumer act from senators fisher and duckworth help to ensure people and companies can trust brokers and shippers, reinforcing the federal motor carrier safety administration enforcement authority to put protections in place against fraudulent actions that poses legitimate businesses and gives states resources to assist in cases where personal property is stolen.
▶ 0:29:46Sen. Cantwell: The combating trafficking in transportation act from senators blackburn and klobuchar would assure that state dot is included in federal efforts to combat human trafficking. The net act, which passed the committee in the last congress, sponsored by senators hickenlooper and peters would require the mcc communication marketplace to evaluate the impact of supply chain disruptions in -- and the timely vision of that infrastructure.
▶ 0:30:16Sen. Cantwell: Plus the wipes act, which the chairman mentioned as requiring neighbors to sell and sellers to label their projects. This national association of clean water agencies estimate that the additional 441 million in operating costs for U.S. water utilities would damage wipes.
▶ 0:30:42Sen. Cantwell: And the national preparedness authorization for landslide would reauthorize the national landslide preparedness act through the landslide hazard reduction program in the 3d elevation program through 2030, increasing the amount of authorization to be appropriated from the program to 25 million from 40 million and for the purchase of landslide in early warning systems.
▶ 0:31:10Sen. Cantwell: The bill is incredibly important for predicting all types of landslides, including those caused by volcanic activity. Just this last week was the 45th anniversary of the mount saint helens eruption that led to massive landslides claiming 57 lives. Technology and forecasting have improved significantly since the incident. So, I appreciate this being on the markup. I would now like to turn to the nominees.
▶ 0:31:39Sen. Cantwell: David fink is the long-time president of pan am railroads and oversaw the railroad that had the higher mainline track derailment rate than its peers for almost every year, reaching more than nine times the class to average in 2021. On top of that, they have a history of retaliating against workers who report injuries and concerns. I oppose his nomination.
▶ 0:32:08Sen. Cantwell: I have serious concerns about him doubling down on the light touch approach. Next, stephen bradberry, nominated to be the deputy secretary of transportation. I believe that we need leadership in this apartment and I cannot say enough about these exact concerns that I raised with Mr. bradberry. Next, david fogel is nominated to be the assistant secretary of commerce.
▶ 0:32:37Sen. Cantwell: I was disappointed to see his lack of support for important economic issues facing our families in the united states. Mr. gleason, I oppose his nomination, it was disappointing to see that he would not object to the calls for the privatization of amtrak. Mr.
▶ 0:33:00Sen. Cantwell: Gentin seems to not recall at our hearings the important aspects of the commitments of this committee and the commitments we have made while we see alarming disruptions at the department. I think that as general counsel did not give me the confidence that they would continue to uphold the actions this committee has taken. With that, Mr., we are ready to go. Ok.
▶ 0:33:30Chair Cruz: So, I will now recognize ranking member cantwell for a motion.
▶ 0:33:38Sen. Cantwell: I move that 127 and 120 eight coast guard promotions he favorably reported.
▶ 0:33:46Chair Cruz: Is there a second? Those in favor, say aye. The motion is agreed to in the nominations are reported and recorded in favor. I recognize bring him cantwell for an additional.
▶ 0:34:09Sen. Cantwell: I knew that s 190 is modified to the anchor act as modified, s 33 seven, household goods shipping consumer protection act, s 503 net act, s 192 -- 1092 wippes act, s 1442 combating trafficking in
▶ 0:34:39Sen. Cantwell: Transportation act, s 1523 water research organization act of 2025, and that s 1626, national landslide preparedness act reauthorization act of 2025 as an -- amended be faithfully reported.
▶ 0:34:55Chair Cruz: Is there a second? All of those in favor say aye. All of those opposed say no. The motion is agreed to and is recorded favorably. Are there any members wishing to speak? I encourage you to speak right now. We are waiting for two additional bodies to vote in the house. Senator fischer?
▶ 0:35:17Senator Fischer: Today the committee unanimously announced my bill, s 337 the household goods shipping consumer protection act. I want to thank senator duckworth for helping to lead the effort. Since 2021 there has been 1500% increase in cargo theft incidents, costing the industry $35 million annually.
▶ 0:35:41Senator Fischer: S 337 allows the fmcsa to impose civil penalties against authorized brokers. Additionally, it would require companies in the household goods sector to establish a principal place of business to prohibit fraudulent companies from skirting an existing regulation.
▶ 0:36:07Senator Fischer: This of bipartisan, bicameral legislation would give the fmcsa the tools needed to protect consumers from fraud by scammers in the interstate transportation of household goods. Thank you, Mr. chairman. Thank you to the committee members for advancing the bill.
▶ 0:36:24Chair Cruz: Senator blackburn?
▶ 0:36:29Senator Blackburn: Thank you so much. I want to say thank you for including the combating trafficking and transportation act. Thanks to senator klobuchar for her work on this. What we know is that awareness signage is vitally important when we are combating human trafficking, including the dot and state department transportation in this to make that signage available is something that at the state level has shown great results.
▶ 0:37:02Senator Blackburn: In texas, once they posted signage and the number to call in their welcome centers, what happened was a 30% increase in calls so that individuals could be rescued and they saw over 1000 successful rescues.
▶ 0:37:25Senator Blackburn: As we address the issue of human trafficking and sex trafficking, signage is important. I appreciate the committee's consideration.
▶ 0:37:36Chair Cruz: Thank you. Are there other members wishing to speak? The committee will then stand in recess for a short time, we are expecting to other members shortly, then we will have the votes to proceed. The committee stands in recess.
▶ 0:47:49Chair Cruz: The committee is back in session and I recognize senator budd for a motion.
▶ 0:47:58Senator Budd: I move that the nomination of david fink be -- for administrator of railroad administration be favorably reported.
▶ 0:48:06Chair Cruz: Is there a second?
▶ 0:48:08Sen. Cantwell: If before the vote I could mention that we are joined today by misty allison, hear from east palestine. She is an example of the vigilance it takes to continue to stay on top of these issues and we very much appreciate her being here in the community, speaking out on continued safety issues. Thank you, we would like a roll call vote.
▶ 0:48:31Chair Cruz: Sure. The clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. thune? >> no by proxy. >> Mr. fisher? Mr. sullivan? Mrs. blackburn? Mr. young? Mr. budd? Mr. schmitt? Mr. curtis? Mr. marino? Mr. sheehy? This is cap miss loomis? Ms. cantwell? Ms. klobuchar? Mr. shaw's?
▶ 0:49:04Chair Cruz: Mr. markey? Miss peters? Ms. duckworth? Ms. baldwin? Mr. rozen? Mr. lujan? Mr. hickenlooper? Mr. fetterman? Mr. kim? Miss blunt rochester? >> >> no. >> ayes are 15, knows or 13.
▶ 0:49:33Chair Cruz: I now recognize senator schmitt for a motion.
▶ 0:49:40Senator Schmitt: I knew that the nomination of david fogel to be the secretary-general of the united states and foreign commercial service be favorably reported.
▶ 0:49:48Chair Cruz: Is there a second? The clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. thune? Mr. wicker? Mrs. fisher? Mr. moran? Mr. sullivan? Mrs. blackburn? Mr. young? Mr. budd? Mr. schmitt? Mr. curtis? Mr. marino? Mr. sheehy? Miss is cap a tow Ms. cantwell? Ms. klobuchar?
▶ 0:50:18Chair Cruz: Mr. schatz? Mr. markey? Mr. peters? Ms. baldwin? Ms. duckworth? Mr. rozen? Mr. lujan? Mr. hickenlooper? Mr. fetterman? Mr. kim? Miss blunt rochester? Mr. cruz?
▶ 0:50:40Chair Cruz: Aye. >> ayes are 15, nos are 13.
▶ 0:50:49Chair Cruz: The motion is agreed to. I now recognize senator moran for a motion.
▶ 0:50:55Senator Moran: Nomination of robert gleason to be favorably reported as the director of amtrak.
▶ 0:51:00Chair Cruz: Is there a second? The clerk will call the roll. [calls role]
▶ 0:52:02Chair Cruz: >> ayes are 16, nos are 12.
▶ 0:52:07Chair Cruz: The motion is agreed to. Senator fischer?
▶ 0:52:12Senator Fischer: I move that pierre gentin be favorably recorded to be head of the department of commerce.
▶ 0:52:20Chair Cruz: Is there a second? The clerk will call the roll. >> Mr. thune? Mr. wicker? Mrs. fisher? Mr. moran? Mr. sullivan? Mrs. blackburn? Mr. young? Mr. budd? Mr. schmitt? Mr. curtis? Mr. marino? Mr. sheehy? This is cap aito> ? Ms. cantwell?
▶ 0:52:50Chair Cruz: Ms. klobuchar? Mr. schatz? Mr. markey? Mr. peters? Ms. baldwin? Ms. duckworth? Mr. rozen? Mr. luja!n? Mr. hickenlooper? Mr. fetterman? Mr. kim? Miss blunt rochester? Mr. cruz? Ayes. >> ayes are 15, nos are 13.
▶ 0:53:22Chair Cruz: The motion is reported favorably. That concludes our markup for today. Thank you, the executive session is adjourned.