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 Services Act (as amended), the Safe Orbit Act (as amended), the National Manufacturing Advisory Council Act, the Astronaut Ground Travel Support Act, the Improving Flood and Agriculture Forecasting Act, the Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act, the Romance Scam Prevention Act, and the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act. After a voice vote the chair said the motion was agreed to and "the bills are ordered to be reported favorably." The motion listed 15 bills and two nominations, consistent with the ranking member's opening remarks.

Senator Maria Cantwell, the committee emocratic ranking member, described several measures in the package: the Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act directs SelectUSA to study state efforts to attract foreign investment for semiconductor manufacturing and builds on work from the CHIPS and Science Act; the Safe Orbit Act addresses congestion in low Earth orbit and space debris; and the Informing Consumers About Smart Devices Act would require labeling or disclosure when consumer devices are capable of recording audio or video. Cantwell also cited the Romance Scam Prevention Act and said industry transparency measures and consumer protections were priorities for the committee.

Senator Blackburn, in remarks after the package vote, emphasized the Romance Scam Prevention Act and described the online fraud targeted by the bill. Blackburn said the bill would "require these online dating services to notify users who have interacted with scammers that are banned from their platform." The senator described the scale of losses from romance scams and recognized an advocate in the audience.

Senator Fisher spoke about an amendment she is drafting, the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act, which would require the Federal Communications Commission to disclose ownership ties between FCC-authorized companies and foreign adversaries; she asked the committee to consider the amendment at a future markup.

Votes at a glance: - Nomination: Michael Kratsios to be Director, OSTP — Motion passed; ayes 24, noes 4; nomination ordered to be reported favorably. - Nomination: Mark Meador to be Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission — Motion passed; ayes 20, noes 8; nomination ordered to be reported favorably. - Package of bills (motion moved by Ranking Member Cantwell) — Motion passed by voice vote; bills ordered to be reported favorably. Bills included (as listed on the motion): S.28 Informing Consumers About Smart Devices Act; S.97 Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act; S.244 Routers Act (as amended); S.323 Youth Poisoning Prevention Act; S.?? Plan for Broadband Act as amended (listed as S.323 in motion text but amendment tracking noted; specific numbering as listed in motion); S.389 Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium Ion Batteries Act; S.414 Ads for Mental Health Services Act (as amended); S.428 Safe Orbit Act (as amended); S.433 National Manufacturing Advisory Council Act; S.582 Astronaut Ground Travel Support Act; S.613 Improving Flood and Agriculture Forecasting Act; S.5759 Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act (as amended); S.841 Romance Scam Prevention Act (as amended); S.843 Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act.

Committee members asked staff to make technical and conforming edits before final transmittal to the Senate. The chair closed the executive session after the votes.

Background and context: Cantwell had opened the markup by saying the committee would consider "more than a dozen bills and 2 nominations," and then moved the bundled motion. Several bills repeat work from prior sessions (Cantwell said a number were considered in the last Congress) or build on existing federal programs (for example, semiconductor legislation building on the CHIPS and Science Act). Senator Blackburn emphasized preventing romance-scam losses and recognized a survivor who attended the session. Senator Fisher indicated intent to advance additional transparency requirements relating to foreign ownership of communications firms at a subsequent markup.