U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Democratic Members

Watch: Cantwell Discusses Wednesday’s Devastating Jet-Helicopter Crash on CNN ? This morning, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, joined CNN to discuss the devastating crash on Wednesday involving?American Airlines flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Watch the full segment below. “These are such horrific events and they take devastating tolls on people's families that they may never recover from. The best thing we can do for them is get them answers,”?Sen. Cantwell said during the interview.?“These are things we're going to have to get from the NTSB. But Jennifer Homendy is an excellent, excellent administrator.” “The FAA has the ultimate authority to always monitor the flight paths and systems and say what is safe and what is operational. That rests with the FAA Administrator. I hope we will get an FAA Administrator very soon because I thought Mike Whitaker was doing a good job at trying to address our safety issues, and now we don't have an Administrator,”?Sen. Cantwell continued. “The standards for air traffic controllers haven't changed. They're the same standards, and people have to meet them or you don't get the job,”?Sen. Cantwell said in response to President Trump.?“What?is?a problem is that we haven't had enough air traffic controllers. You have been stretching the people that do work there, sometimes making them work six days in a row. We fought to improve this by adding 3,000 new air traffic controllers. We don't want to cut back on air traffic controllers. We want to have more. We want them to have enough rest. And we want to make sure that the FAA does its oversight job of the airspace and air traffic controllers. And do we have what it takes to monitor any situation?”

NEW: U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell, Todd Young, Dick Durbin and Steve Daines introduced the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act that will authorize federal funding to accelerate quantum research and development at federal science agencies for the next five years. “Advancements in quantum science and technology are a game-changer. From healthcare breakthroughs to clean energy solutions, quantum applications in sensing, computing, and communications will reshape our future,” said Senator Cantwell. “The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act strengthens America's competitive edge through critical R&D investments. By fostering public-private collaboration, we will accelerate quantum innovation, create high-skilled jobs, and pioneer discoveries that benefit generations to come.” Federal investment in quantum technology is essential to address the "valley of death," a phase where promising technologies often stall between research and commercialization. Federal funding supports early research in academia and national labs, training quantum engineers and researchers and constructing vital infrastructure. Without robust federal support, innovations may fail to materialize, stalling potential breakthroughs critical for national security and economic competitiveness. The bill has support from Quantum Industry Coalition, QED-C? the Quantum Economic Development Consortium,?IonQ, Microsoft and the University of Washington! Check out the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act: https://lnkd.in/ggSNreaz Julia Pan

On Tuesday, November 19, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a subcommittee hearing on protecting consumers from artificial intelligence-enabled fraud and scams, led by Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chair Senator John Hickenlooper. With testimony from: - Hany Farid, Professor, University of California, Berkeley, School of Information - Justin Brookman, Director, Technology Policy, Consumer Reports - Mounir Ibrahim, Chief Communications Officer & Head of Public Affairs, Truepic - Dorota Mani, Mother of Deepfake Pornography Victim Watch Live: https://lnkd.in/efSzGDJa Edgar Rivas

This Wednesday, September 18, the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on aviation cybersecurity threats faced by airports and airlines, impacts and disruptions to passengers, along with how the nation’s aviation sector can boost resiliency to protect against future cyberattacks. With testimony from: - Marty Reynolds (Brig Gen, USAF, Retired) CISM, NACD.CD, Managing Director for Cybersecurity, Airlines for America - Lance Lyttle IAP, Aviation Managing Director, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Port of Seattle - John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud, National Consumers League (NCL) Watch Live: https://lnkd.in/eHUx2Hrc Alexander Simpson Gabrielle "Gigi" Slais

A new keynote speaker has been confirmed for the 6th Annual Data Privacy Conference USA. Maria Cantwell, Senator for the State of Washington will deliver an opening keynote address. There's less than one month until #DataUSA24! Register and find out about other ways to get involved on the conference website: https://lnkd.in/gJ8B2J8C September 17th, 2024 | Washington, D.C #DataUSA24

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee?passed?the?bipartisan National Science Foundation AI Education Act, led by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), to expand scholarship and professional development opportunities to study artificial intelligence and quantum across all levels with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF). https://lnkd.in/gQF7d8kU

Senate Commerce Committee Advances Landmark Package of Bipartisan Legislation Promoting Responsible AI Four Bills Advance to Ensure Commonsense AI Governance and Innovation in the United States WASHINGTON, DC, July 31, 2024 - In a pivotal step toward responsible artificial intelligence (AI) deployment and use in America, the Senate Commerce Committee approved a package of four groundbreaking bills to foster innovation while moving toward safety and accountability in AI technologies. The Center for AI Policy (CAIP) commends the Committee's decision to advance The Future of AI Innovation Act (FAIIA), the Artificial Intelligence Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act (AIRIA), the Creating Resources for Every American To Experiment with Artificial Intelligence Act (CREATE AI Act), and the Validation and Evaluation for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (VET AI) Act. "This legislative package represents a crucial milestone in establishing a framework for responsible and safe AI development in America," said Jason Green-Lowe, Executive Director of the Center for AI Policy (CAIP). "It implements necessary safeguards without hindering innovation, positioning the United States to remain at the forefront of safe AI deployment and use." The bills collectively address various aspects of AI governance, from research and data quality to accountability and trustworthiness. The FAIIA focuses on establishing artificial intelligence standards, metrics, and evaluation tools. The AIRIA will require companies to certify that they are bringing greater transparency, accountability, and security to the development and operation of the highest-impact applications of AI. The CREATE AI Act aims to democratize access to AI resources, and the VET AI Act promotes a trustworthy AI ecosystem by offering voluntary certification for third-party AI evaluators. "As AI continues to reshape our world, it's imperative that we have robust legislation in place. These bills will help ensure that America will be known for leading the way toward safe and reliable AI services. Americans need to be able to trust the general-purpose, cross-sector AI models they use daily to behave as intended. The bills recommended by the Commerce Committee today in a series of nearly unanimous votes would be an excellent way to get started on that goal," Green-Lowe said. The bill passed today will have important implications for the AI industry, potentially influencing everything from research funding to regulatory frameworks. It also signals a proactive approach by the United States government to address the challenges and opportunities presented by rapidly advancing AI technologies. "The passage of these bills through committee is just the beginning," Green-Lowe said. "We urge the full Senate to maintain this momentum and work towards swift ratification of these commonsense AI measures." ### HT U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Majority

?? We applaud the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Majority for advancing S. 4487, the Small Business Artificial Intelligence Training and Toolkit Act, out of Committee today. This legislation would authorize the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) to work with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to create and distribute training resources and tools to help small businesses leverage #AI to succeed. ?? Thank you to Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) for championing this important bill to put cutting-edge technology in the hands of more small business owners. Small businesses are #poweredbyfintech and rely on digital tools to succeed. ?? Check out our vision to make it easier to start, scale, and run a small business in FTA’s Small Business Policy agenda ?? https://lnkd.in/eQcaJWhp

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee passed the bipartisan Future of AI Innovation Act to maintain United States leadership in the global race to develop artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Led by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Todd Young?(R-Ind.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), this bill promotes strong partnerships between government, business, civil society and academia to advance AI research. It authorizes the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and creates testbeds with national labs to accelerate groundbreaking AI innovation that will spur future economic growth and protect national security. Read more about the legislation here: https://lnkd.in/e6jdX5F4

SIIA has endorsed the NSF AI Education Act, introduced by Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell and Sen. Jerry Moran. Sara Kloek speaks on how forward-thinking legislation emphasizes AI education, industry partnerships, and the creation of a future-ready workforce. By fostering collaboration between students, educators, and employers, and supporting AI research in diverse fields like agriculture and manufacturing, this act paves the way for American innovation and leadership in AI. Kudos to everyone involved in this visionary initiative!