Senate Commerce Committee advances Michael Kratsios, Mark Meador and a bipartisan package of tech, space and consumer bills

At a markup of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, members voted to report two nominations favorably and to order a package of bills to be reported favorably to the full Senate.

Senator Wicker moved to report the nomination of Michael Kratsios to be director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; the motion was seconded and passed. The clerk announced, "The ayes are 24, the noes are 4." The committee "ordered to be reported favorably" Kratsios's nomination, the chair said.

Later the committee voted to report the nomination of Mark Meador to be a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission. Senator Wicker moved the nomination; the roll call produced "the ayes are 20. The noes are 8," and the motion was agreed to, with the nomination ordered to be reported favorably.

The committee also considered a bundle of bills covering space, oceans, semiconductors, consumer protections and telecommunications. Ranking Member Cantwell moved that a set of bills be favorably reported; the list the motion included covers the Informing Consumers About Smart Devices Act ("spy-fridge" bill), the Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act, the Routers Act, the Youth Poisoning Prevention Act, the Plan for Broadband Act (as amended), the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium Ion Batteries Act, the Ads for Mental Health…