[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6346321,"mediaKeyId","2247029-bf248139e0b6f251f3034fe2eaf3d02f","parentId",2247029,"title","Committee rejects amendment to Ticket Act that would limit access to Treasury payment systems","audioSeconds",694,"startMs",3190000,"endMs",3884000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247029-bf248139e0b6f251f3034fe2eaf3d02f&start=3190&end=3884","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247029-bf248139e0b6f251f3034fe2eaf3d02f/thumbnail_3190000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6346321/Committee-rejects-amendment-to-Ticket-Act-that-would-limit-access-to-Treasury-payment-systems","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346321-8c3f4371e798d4b6dc1bb75bb57023fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148308&Signature=K4ghuZ437U50Ifh121Rflo0G6JPZFDE5mmkteewq12Bxv1JaXePRc-J28mDRS6rLaEaoZImxuzjgC~cQc1FV23ppHtdE48mdzXD93vzEa6pPS-gbwQfAdbufa4dVU~RVbBONDsg-8vyOeevUFLr8JORyX31sCvbnH8rwq98UB6pp0ghssj1bmffO26gnt0ixEckdfRHs7t16owFHnfZHtC-LKW9dukcA70BAuJzrZXvzHIDl2AwAOn9U8QRauCd-oyFQWhZKYc~M9j-awn2MzxPSS~0-a1g8rdRrlIYRgXgmulJvqIMKSruZq3UA4N4IPaYG2byP6Q3vXWNtROas~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation","date","2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","article","A committee amendment that would have made certain access to the Department of the Treasury’s central payment system a violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act failed in the Senate Commerce markup on a roll call of 15 noes to 13 yeas.

Sen. Edward J. Markey, who described the amendment during debate, said it was drafted in response to recent actions by private entities that, he warned, exposed Treasury systems and Americans’ sensitive financial data. \"Over the weekend Elon Musk and the Doge team physically seized control of a critical payment system at the Treasury Department, locked out the career employees and proposed to start cutting off payments based on random tweets or messages,\" Markey said during his remarks. He added the amendment would “ensure that only individuals without a conflict of interest and who have a verified role in the federal government have access to these sensitive systems.”

Opponents argued the amendment was outside the committee’s jurisdiction and risked politicizing a bill whose purpose is consumer protection in ticketing. Sen. John Thune, responding to the amendment, said: \"This amendment has nothing to do with the Ticket Act and it is not within the jurisdiction of this committee.\" Thune characterized the proposal as a partisan attack and urged colleagues to oppose it.

Why it matters: The amendment sought to place statutory limits on who may access Treasury payment infrastructure. Supporters said such limits are necessary to safeguard privacy, competition and critical payments; opponents said the amendment strayed from the Ticket Act’s core subject and raised jurisdictional questions.

Key procedural outcome

The clerk’s roll call recorded 15 no votes and 13 yes votes, and the amendment was not adopted. The committee then proceeded to consider and report the broader Ticket Act (and other bills) to the full Senate.

Substantive points raised

- Markey and several colleagues argued the administration’s actions and private-sector interventions had created new risks for Treasury systems and recommended statutory safeguards.
- Sen. Maria Cantwell and others voiced support for using committee and statutory tools to protect citizens’ private data; Cantwell said the data at risk included Social Security numbers, bank account information and tax records.
- Opponents, including Thune, argued the amendment’s mechanism (invoking the Federal Trade Commission Act) was an inappropriate fit for the Ticket Act and risked overstepping committee jurisdiction.

Ending

The amendment’s defeat leaves the underlying Ticket Act to proceed without the proposed limits on Treasury payment-system access. Committee members said the question of executive branch access and the protection of citizen data will continue to be a subject for future congressional oversight and potential separate legislation.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Executive Session: February 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","An amendment aiming to bar certain individuals from accessing Treasury’s central payment system — proposed in the markup as a response to private-sector interference in federal systems — failed on a 15-13 roll call after heated debate over jurisdiction and implementation.","taxTitle","Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Senate Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1990,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6346326,"Senate Commerce Committee reports Howard Lutnick favorably, advances package of tech, safety and consumer bills",91,4207000,4298000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247029-bf248139e0b6f251f3034fe2eaf3d02f&start=4207&end=4298","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247029-bf248139e0b6f251f3034fe2eaf3d02f/thumbnail_4207000.jpg","/articles/6346326/Senate-Commerce-Committee-reports-Howard-Lutnick-favorably-advances-package-of-tech-safety-and-consumer-bills","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346326-47ceecdf03e70871e4e2abbb5bb6bd13/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148308&Signature=OliiTwQqqTmicEPr2roHL0w6Yhcpy46BHqBOg5oEsjDbdnV3sXzXnz8HVXgNC0vZA-YnMawAaL-bOLmhK2OCesZamrQS2DNITtuN9pZK6IogOlX5ggnzT0XmH3-VM4fA-Tggf6QPrA0SHjmzTcnjOmIYFS3nRHxz9~nM3EtC2dOgZXRUKKcgWNKa6YL1rlARi81xmGXA9vBhF0UgpRoJSfxooc938uhUKTKZaiXp3C3klXlNUAu3NBardnqxPcnHJvEkhYP4tphT~Pdc4yF6kpEb-uZPnRHGUCEJak~i9tRTrDqbiyW~PUsob4T-G9dT3Hiu01gTNkqr1JMSgZMZRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday voted to report the nomination of Howard Lutnick to be Secretary of Commerce favorably and advanced a package of bipartisan bills addressing consumer protections, manufacturing, climate- and weather-related services, and communications reliability.

The committee voted to report the nomination of Howard Lutnick (PN 11-9) favorably after a roll call that showed 16 ayes and 12 noes. Sen. John Thune moved the nomination be reported favorably and the motion carried, the clerk announced.

The committee also approved motions to report a set of bills favorably, including measures on harmful algal bloom research, broadband protections, support for American manufacturing, crash-test improvements, fisheries and maritime enforcement, wildfire forecasting, ticketing practices, and an AM radio-in-every-vehicle proposal. The chair announced the motion to report that group of bills agreed to and ordered the bills reported favorably. Several members recorded individual no votes on specific items during the final votes.

Why it matters: The committee’s actions send multiple bipartisan measures and a Cabinet nomination to the Senate calendar for further consideration, shaping federal policy on telecommunications, public safety, trade and manufacturing, environmental research and rural services.

Most important facts

Sen. John Thune moved to report the nomination of Howard Lutnick to be Secretary of Commerce favorably; the clerk recorded a roll call indicating 16 ayes and 12 noes. The committee then adopted motions to report a wide package of bills to the full Senate.

Among the bills the committee ordered reported favorably were:
- Kids Off Social Media Act (S.278)
- AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (S.315)
- Fire Ready Nation Act (S.306)
- Strengthening Support for American Manufacturing Act (S.99)
- She Drives Act (S.161)
- Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act (S.283)
- Ticketing-related legislation (Ticket Act, listed in the markup)

Recorded dissent: Senator Curtis registered a no on agenda item 17 (S.315, AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act). Senator Kim was recorded as a no on S.246 (Interstate Transport Act). Senator Markey was recorded as a no on S.278 (Kids Off Social Media Act). The committee clerk also recorded other proxy votes as part of roll-call tallies.

Context and supporting details

Committee members opened the session with remarks acknowledging recent aviation disasters and emphasizing the committee’s work on aviation safety, weather forecasting, and consumer protections. Several senators spoke in favor of bills aimed at improving emergency communications, strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity, updating crash-test protocols to reflect sex-based differences in auto safety, and improving NOAA resources for wildfire and ocean management.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, the committee’s ranking member, offered the motion that a set of bills (listed during the markup) be reported favorably; the panel adopted that motion by voice and roll-call processes. The chair granted unanimous consent for staff to make technical and conforming changes to the bills before transmittal to the Senate.

What the committee did not decide

The committee ordered bills to be reported favorably and reported a nomination favorably; those actions do not enact law. Additional floor votes in the full Senate will be required to pass any of the measures into law. The committee also recorded individual no votes on some items, but did not block any of the reported measures from moving forward.

Ending

The committee completed its markup and adjourned after members offered brief additional remarks supporting specific bills. The measures reported from committee will move to the Senate calendar for further action, and the nomination of Howard Lutnick will move forward consistent with Senate procedures.

","The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee voted to report Howard Lutnick’s nomination for Secretary of Commerce favorably and ordered a package of bills — covering topics from social media and wildfire forecasting to manufacturing and fisheries — to be reported to the full Senate.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee rejects amendment to Ticket Act that would limit access to Treasury payment systems

Senate Commerce Committee reports Howard Lutnick favorably, advances package of tech, safety and consumer bills