Ranking Member Cantwell Opening Statement at Hearing for NTSB, OSTP, and Commerce Nominees

[VIDEO]

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the following opening statement at today's full committee hearing on the renomination of Michael Graham to serve as a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the nominations of Dr. Ethan Klein to be Associate Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and Joyce Meyer to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs.

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Graham, Dr. Klein, Ms. Meyer, thank you for being here. Congratulations on your nominations, or renominations in one case, and thank you for your willingness to serve.

"Mr. Graham, you have been renominated to a five-year term of the NTSB, which plays a vital role in investigating root causes of some of the most devastating transportation accidents in our country, and identifying key areas of improvement. This includes disasters like the East Palestine derailment, which Mr. Graham deployed to as the lead investigator. The NTSB has made 34 recommendations in response to that derailment. Over a year has passed since that report came out, and yet most of the recommendations still remain open. So I hope this is a moment where we can talk about some of those, and the committee can work together to address those recommendations in a reauthorization bill.

"The NTSB is critically important in investigating the tragic mid-air collision in DCA airspace that killed 67 people in January. But this wasn't an isolated incident. The NTSB found over 15,000 near miss incidents between commercial aircraft and helicopters in the three years leading up to the crash, and controllers warned that the FAA helicopter routes were dangerous. But that information was dismissed by the agency, the FAA. Meanwhile, the Army has been operating 100 percent of its missions with ADS-B Out not transmitting. These weren't unknown risks. They were ignored warnings that cost lives. So Mr. Graham, as someone who participated in that NTSB investigation of the tragedy, I look forward to asking your assessment about the fundamental changes we need at the FAA to prevent future tragedies.

"I also want to point out that you were renominated one month after President Trump illegally fired Vice Chair Alvin Brown, one in a series of illegal firings across multiple independent boards and commissions, including, most recently, a Democratic member of the Surface Transportation [Board].

"You were nominated, Mr. Klein…to be Associate Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology and the next U.S. Chief Technology Officer. If confirmed, you would play a key role in executing the nation's science and technology agenda, including…our collective efforts to ensure that the United States maintains its leadership in AI. No doubt, AI will change our world, but there's lots of areas in which the federal government should play a role -- education, training -- in AI and promoting American leadership, while also protecting consumers and children from harm. To be clear, I do support a federal preemption bill, but only when it's paired with the appropriate federal framework, which includes solid guardrails to ensure that America is the leader in setting AI standards and rules of the road. I look forward to hearing from you on those priorities and other OSTP priorities.

"Finally, Ms. Meyer, if confirmed you will be the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Department of Commerce, and you will be responsible for overseeing the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Some of the most important economic data and statistics that our government produces, including GDP estimates and international trade deficits. American businesses across every industry, from housing to retail to technology to manufacturing, depend on…accurate statistical information from the federal government that is free from political influence. Without it, businesses find themselves flying blind and unable to invest with confidence. So everybody, I believe, should agree on economic statistical agencies' ability to produce that data free from political influence. So, I hope you will agree with that and I plan to ask you questions about that and your general plans for the integrity of economic data and what we need to do to continue to move forward collectively on America's commerce agenda.

"So, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to hearing from our nominees."

Video of Sen. Cantwell's opening remarks can be found HERE.

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