Senate Commerce Committee debates subpoena for Massport; narrower amendment fails, Martha’s Vineyard probe added; final vote postponed

Sen. Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, urged the panel to authorize a subpoena to the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) on grounds that Massport has not produced documents about people sheltered at Logan International Airport.

"We will be making a motion to authorize a subpoena to Massachusetts Port Authority today," Cruz said, framing the request as part of the committee's oversight role and saying Massport "stood as an outlier" in refusing to provide documents the committee sought.

The committee debate focused on whether compulsory process was warranted now that Massport's chief executive had, in a letter, promised responses to written questions by March 10. Sen. Maria Cantwell, the committee's ranking member, urged patience and argued the subpoena authorization was premature because Massport had committed in writing to respond. Cantwell read a portion of a Massport letter into the record and asked members to "forego issuing subpoenas until you have seen our complete response. March 10 is Monday coming up." Cantwell said the August 9 correspondence from the committee had been a preservation letter, not a demand for…