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C-SPAN, Democracy Unfiltered. | |
| We're funded by these television companies and more, including Charter Communications. | ||
| Charter is proud to be recognized as one of the best internet providers. | ||
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| President Trump's nominees to be the next NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman, and FCC nominee Olivia Trustee both testify at their confirmation hearings before the Senate Commerce Committee. | ||
| The nominees answer questions on a range of issues, including space exploration, national security, and China. | ||
| Here's a portion. | ||
| But I am absolutely delighted to introduce and recommend to the committee and to the Senate Olivia Trustee as the next member of the FCC. | ||
| I'm unqualified, actually, to tell what a great nominee she is. | ||
| And also, I hope there's some work being done back at my office. | ||
| We have a number of staffers who slipped away, and I think there are probably a number of people watching on the telephone. | ||
| But I'm profoundly appreciative for this honor and appreciative to President Trump for making this nomination. | ||
| I frankly cannot conceive of a more qualified nominee. | ||
| Olivia Trustee performs work at the highest level of excellence, and she does it for the right reasons. | ||
| And for seven years now, I've been the beneficiary of her expertise. | ||
| But frankly, this committee and the Armed Services Committee and the full Senate have also been the beneficiary of her expertise. | ||
| When I became chairman of the Commerce Committee, I was fortunate that Olivia agreed to join my committee staff. | ||
| A few years later, I was, I became ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, and I knew there was one member of this committee staff that I wanted to bring over to handle her portfolio there. | ||
| Olivia Trustee has helped all of us advance initiatives that made America more connected and more secure, initiatives that fall squarely within the Federal Communication Commission's jurisdiction. | ||
| On technology party, she's helped us pass legislation to improve maps. | ||
| She's worked to ensure broadband funds are directed where they're most needed and where Congress intended them to be. | ||
| She's brought us closer to getting more Americans connected to high-speed internet. | ||
| And of course, we're not quite where we need to be. | ||
| I think she will help us in this new position get there quicker. | ||
| Her work has contributed to national security. | ||
| She was instrumental in advancing legislation to free our domestic networks from communications equipment manufactured by foreign adversaries. | ||
| She's been a leader on spectrum policy, an area that bridges both technology and national security. | ||
| She has collaborated with members and staff across the Commerce and Armed Services Committees to find common ground between commercial and federal interest. | ||
| Olivia Trustee wants to help our country maintain our leadership without risking national security. | ||
| And she's worked to make that happen. | ||
| I could go on and on, but Olivia does like brevity. | ||
| She chooses her words carefully and concisely. | ||
| Let me just say she plays chess, not checkers. | ||
| She sees around the corners. | ||
| She shoots straight and she will shoot straight with members of this committee and the Senate. | ||
| She uses common sense and adherence to the law, and she will do so as a commissioner. | ||
| On a personal basis, she's serious about her faith. | ||
| She's an NCAA gymnast at UNC Chapel Hill. | ||
| She's a Mormon Republican from Maryland, for heaven's sake. | ||
| And those of us who know her know that she'll do a magnificent job. | ||
| Actually, we're fortunate that she's chosen to work in the public sector for the taxpayers. | ||
| And I could not give a more resounding endorsement to her nomination. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Well, I will say that it's very impressive, particularly that she plays chess and not checkers and shoots straight. | ||
| I will say shooting is a novel strategy in chess. | ||
| But whatever works and gives you the checkbox, there's more than one way to defeat the king. | ||
| And with that, I recognize the junior senator from Montana, Senator Sheehy, to introduce Mr. Isaacman. | ||
| Had to put junior in front of it, didn't you, Ted? | ||
| For nearly 70 years, this place that could stick around a long time. | ||
| I am the longest-serving junior member. | ||
| So, yeah, 24 years, you can still be the junior member. | ||
| I wear it with a badge of honor. | ||
| Well, thank you, Chairman and Ranking Member. | ||
| For nearly 70 years, the United States has been at the forefront of space exploration. | ||
| President Trump knows how critical it is for our country to lead the way yet again as our space program aims to reach new heights. | ||
| And that's why he chose exactly the right man for the job, Jared Isaacman. | ||
| I've personally known Jared for several years, sharing an aviation community in Montana and cooperating with him on improving the education experience for our next generation of explorers, astronauts, engineers, and pilots who attend space camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. | ||
| Of note, both Jared and I attended Space Camp, an arduous five-day program for small children. | ||
| And I would say it lit a spark in both of us to chase the dream of aviation and aerospace. | ||
| We both dreamed of being astronauts as children. | ||
| The difference is Jared actually is one, whereas I had to settle for the decidedly less cool title of senator. | ||
| America has been the leader of global space travel for generations, pushing the boundaries of science and testing the limits of human endurance and intellect. | ||
| All Americans should be deeply proud of the incredible accomplishments of heroes like Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, and many others. | ||
| The sacrifice and leadership of these brave astronauts is what most Americans know well. | ||
| What they usually don't know is that behind each and every one of these heroes, many of whom sitting in front of us, is a massive team of dedicated engineers, program managers, innovators, test pilots, welders, electricians, truck drivers, and families who are the true heroes of our space program. | ||
| To lead this incredible team requires a leader who not only understands and believes in the mission, but also has the interdisciplinary skill sets to coordinate these cross-functional teams to achieve critical outcomes. | ||
| As we have unfortunately seen in recent days, NASA is struggling. | ||
| And what's worse, it has been struggling for the past couple of decades. | ||
| Since the tragedy of the Columbia disaster in 2003, which I remember like it was yesterday as I was preparing to enter the pool for a high school swim meet, NASA has been a struggling organizational full of great people searching for revival. | ||
| For 10 years, the United States of America was paying the Russian government taxi fare to send our own astronauts into space. | ||
| This would make JFK and Ronald Reagan turn in their graves. | ||
| And in light of the recent Starliner mission to the ISS that left astronauts stuck in space for nine months, we are reminded that much work still remains. | ||
| President Trump, both and Elon Musk, who is one of our greatest space entrepreneurs, both knew it was time for a change. | ||
| And enter Jared Isaacman. | ||
| Despite his childhood desire to be an Air Force pilot and an astronaut, Jared found out that he was smarter than most and started a disruptive software company in his garage as a teenager. | ||
| That company grew to be a tremendous multi-billion dollar success, and that success fueled his ascension into the Hall of Fame as a record-setting jet pilot, an aggressive fighter pilot for our Air Force combat pilots, and most recently, the first civilian astronaut to ever conduct a spacewalk. | ||
| On top of all that, Jared and I share another passion: pediatric philanthropy. | ||
| Jared has personally donated millions of dollars to improve health care for at-risk children all over America, a cause which brought us together. | ||
| NASA is at a point of great pride for our generation. | ||
| It represents a moral obligation for us to continue to lead in the greatest frontier ever known, and it deserves strong leadership. | ||
| Jared is an articulate leader, a great father and husband, and one of the smartest people in America. | ||
| Jared understands not only how to manage complex multi-billion dollar organizations, but also how to design and engineer critical systems. | ||
| And to top it all off, he knows how to fly spaceships. | ||
| America has given us a mandate to push the boundaries of outer space, and NASA is in need of spiritual and organizational rejuvenation, and that will take fresh, bold leadership. | ||
| Jared is the perfect man for the job, and I look forward to adding NASA Administrator to his already remarkable resume. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| I now recognize Mr. Isaacman for his opening statement. | ||
| Thank you, and Senator Sheehy, for the very generous introduction. | ||
| Thank you, Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, distinguished members of the committee. | ||
| I am honored and very grateful to be here before you today as President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the National Aeronautic and Space Administration. | ||
| I have lived the American dream, and I owe this nation a great debt. | ||
| I would happily serve President Trump in any capacity, but to work alongside the people that have expanded the boundaries of exploration and brought humanity closer to the stars would be the privilege of a lifetime. | ||
| Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge my crewmates, as you did earlier, Senator, along with my wife, Monica, and my two wonderful daughters that are sitting behind me, Mila and Liv. | ||
| I do recognize I am a newcomer, so I thought I would share a bit about my story, along with my understanding of the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead. | ||
| I am an entrepreneur, and my journey began when I took a risk and left school at age 16 to build a company in my parents' basement. | ||
| Despite my unconventional start, I found success very early in life and led my company into a multi-billion dollar enterprise that employs thousands. | ||
| I'm a pilot with an aeronautics degree. | ||
| Over the last 20 years, I've flown over 7,000 hours in jets and ex-military aircraft, setting world records and performing in air shows. | ||
| My passion for aviation also led me to start another company, this time a defense aerospace business. | ||
| As a company, we operated the world's largest private air force. | ||
| Our job was to fly fighter jets as adversaries, executing enemy tactics and training American warfighters. | ||
| We managed hundreds of millions in defense contracts and saved taxpayers billions along the way. | ||
| I'm also an astronaut. | ||
| Alongside a talented team, I led two record-breaking missions to space. | ||
| On my last mission, we tested a new spacesuit while performing a spacewalk and orbited farther away from Earth than any human has gone since the last time Americans walked on the moon. | ||
| Along the way, my two crewmates, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, became the women who have journeyed farthest from Earth ever. | ||
| I'm an advocate for science. | ||
| During these missions to space, my crew and I performed approximately 50 science and research experiments. | ||
| I've also publicly supported the Chandra X-ray Observatory and offered to fund a mission to extend the life and capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope. | ||
| I care about the people back at home and our collective future here on Earth. | ||
| My space career did not burden the taxpayers. | ||
| They were privately funded and aimed at inspiring and helping people all over the world. | ||
| One example is the over $250 million we raised to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and their critical work to ensure no child dies in the dawn of life. | ||
| Alongside these efforts, I personally donated hundreds of millions of dollars to charitable endeavors. | ||
| I share all this because I am not a typical nominee for this position. | ||
| I have been relatively apolitical. | ||
| I am not a scientist. | ||
| I never worked at NASA. | ||
| I do not think these are weaknesses. | ||
| In fact, I believe President Trump found them to be strengths. | ||
| And if confirmed, I will bring all my experience to the greatest adventure in human history, the quest to discover the secrets of the universe. | ||
| On that note, NASA is the most accomplished and respected space agency in the world. | ||
| But for all NASA's historic achievements, the agency is not without challenges. | ||
| Presidents have called for a return to the moon and a path to Mars since 1989, and well over $100 billion has been spent without the intended results. | ||
| Most programs, new telescopes, rovers, X-planes, entire spaceships, are over budget and behind schedule. | ||
| And this is discouraging because when people look up at the stars and wonder what is out there, they want those answers today and not decades down the road. | ||
| And I know it is not lost on members of this committee that we have geopolitical rivals moving at impressive speeds. | ||
| It's imperative for our national security, our pride, and all that we stand to gain in exploration that we never come in second place. | ||
| If confirmed, and with the support and guidance of President Trump and members of Congress, we will reinvigorate a mission-first culture at NASA with the following objectives. | ||
| First, American astronauts will lead the way in the ultimate high ground of space. | ||
| As the President stated, we will prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars, and along the way, we will inevitably have the capabilities to return to the moon and determine the scientific, economic, and national security benefits for maintaining a presence on the lunar surface. | ||
| We will focus our technology development efforts on the world's greatest engineering challenges, such as the practical application of nuclear propulsion, so we can truly unlock humankind's ability to explore among the stars. | ||
| Second, we will ignite a thriving space economy in low Earth orbit. | ||
| By working alongside international partners and industry, we can unlock the true economic potential of space and deliver meaningful benefits to the American people, potentially even charting a course for NASA to become a financially self-sustaining agency. | ||
| Number three, NASA will be a force multiplier for science. | ||
| We will leverage NASA's scientific talent and capabilities to enable academic institutions and industry to increase the rate of world-changing discoveries. | ||
| We will launch more telescopes, more probes, more rovers, and endeavor to better understand our planet and the universe beyond. | ||
| If confirmed, I will work alongside and recruit the most talented minds this nation has to offer, and we will concentrate our resources towards achieving the near impossible, the objectives that no other agency, company, or institution is capable of accomplishing. | ||
| We will do so, knowing the risks and the groundbreaking opportunities that lie ahead, because some risks, like exploring the worlds beyond ours, are worth taking. | ||
| We will do this not just to expand our knowledge or strengthen our national security, but to improve all life here on Earth and inspire the next generation to reach even further. | ||
| This is why America needs NASA, why the world needs NASA, because there is no more important investment than inspiring our children to build a better and more exciting future. | ||
| And the best way NASA can do that is by delivering on our mission and ushering in a new golden age of science and discovery, and we will not fail. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Thank you, Ms. Trustee. | ||
|
unidentified
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Thank you, Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, members of the committee. | |
| Thank you for convening this hearing. | ||
| Senator Wicker, thank you so much for your very kind introduction. | ||
| It has been a privilege to work with you on your staff for nearly eight years, serving the people of Mississippi and all Americans. | ||
| Thank you so much for this opportunity. | ||
| I also thank President Trump for the incredible honor of this nomination to be a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission. | ||
| And last but not least, I thank my family for their love and support. | ||
| And I'll briefly introduce those here today and watching via webcast: my parents, Terry and Ellen Trustee, my sisters, Lauren, Jennifer, Angela, Elizabeth, and Caroline, and my brother TJ. | ||
| My brothers and sister-in-law, Thomas Ventimilia, Matthew Burton, Slola Fafita, and Naeen Trustee, and my precious nieces and nephews, Sophia, Thomas, and Julian Ventimilia, Ella, Jack, Caroline Kay, and Henry Burton, and Isabel Summer, Ellen, and Lana Trustee. | ||
| I love you all so very much. | ||
| Growing up in a large family with five sisters and one brother, I was taught early on about the value of service. | ||
| Through my parents' daily actions, they emphasized the importance of helping others, whether through small acts or larger commitments. | ||
| As I've grown older, I've credited my parents' example to the example set by my paternal and maternal grandfathers, George Preston Trustee Sr. and Ernest DeWitt Powell Jr., both of whom served our country in World War II and the Korean War, respectively. | ||
| Although my grandfathers came from different backgrounds, they shared a common commitment to defending this country and protecting the values we all hold dear. | ||
| What brings me here today is my desire to continue the shared commitment to public service and love of country that's been in my family for generations. | ||
| When I first moved to Washington, D.C., nearly 20 years ago, after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I began my career in the public policy office of a telecommunications company. | ||
| This is where I was introduced to universal service principles and the critical mission of the FCC. | ||
| During that time, I saw firsthand how access to modern communications services, particularly for Americans living in rural and remote areas, could change lives. | ||
| I also learned the value of a simple internet connection. | ||
| It not only gives communities the ability to stay connected with loved ones, but it opens the door to education, jobs, economic opportunities, and so much more. | ||
| Indeed, it allows Americans to participate fully in society and an ever-expanding global digital economy. | ||
| Following my time in the private sector, I've had the opportunity to work in the House of Representatives and in this hollow chamber on telecommunications, technology, consumer protection, and most recently, national security. | ||
| All of these policy areas are core to the FCC's mission: to make available affordable, high-speed, reliable, and secure communication services. | ||
| Now, in carrying out this mission, it's not lost on me that the problem set facing the Commission is both vast and diverse. | ||
| The agency must contend with unforgiving geographic landscapes to achieve universal connectivity. | ||
| It must stay ahead of sophisticated illegal robocallers, defrauding and scamming vulnerable populations like our youth and seniors. | ||
| It must work with federal partners to defend the security of our communications networks from the attacks of nation-state actors. | ||
| And it must work collaboratively with private and public sector interests to ensure that the United States leads the world in next-generation communications. | ||
| Notwithstanding these issues, given my unique experiences working on both this distinguished committee and the Armed Services Committee, as well as the dedication and expertise of FCC staff, I believe these challenges can be overcome. | ||
| In that spirit, I'd like to offer a short list of commitments on which I hope there is bipartisan consensus if confirmed. | ||
| If confirmed, I will work with Congress and the administration to expand access to high-speed internet services for all Americans, protect consumers from illegal robocalls, strengthen the security of the nation's telecommunications networks, and restore America's leadership in next-generation communications technologies. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, thank you again for holding this hearing. | ||
| I look forward to answering any questions. | ||
| Thank you to your boat, and thank you to you both. | ||
| All right, Mr. Isaacman, let's start. | ||
| If you're confirmed, you will oversee NASA's various field centers, mission directives, and affiliated activities. | ||
| This includes Artemis and the Moon to Mars program, which aims to keep us one step ahead of nations like China in the fight for supremacy in space. | ||
| The threat from China is very real. | ||
| Just last week, General Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations for the Space Force, testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission that Beijing has been explicit as recently as October of last year in stating that China intends to surpass the United States and become the world's preeminent space power. | ||
| As General Saltzman put it, quote: China's advancement in space technology, their stated desire to dominate, and Beijing's disregard for international norms for the responsible use of space make them an incredible danger to U.S. prosperity and security. | ||
| China has said that they will put a man on the moon by 2030 and that they will build a permanent lunar base there along with Russia by 2035. | ||
| Based on how quickly they have already progressed, I think it is quite possible that China reaches those milestones sooner than those dates and indeed that China reaches the moon before the end of President Trump's current term. | ||
| Mr. Isaacman, if China beats us to the moon, what consequences might America face? | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I really appreciate that question, and I couldn't agree more with all of your commentary, sir, including in your opening remarks. | ||
| We certainly cannot lose. | ||
| If we do not lead the way and we're following, we may be following forever, and the consequence of which could be extraordinary. | ||
| I mean, even if you're talking about things that have maybe even a low probability, let's say, for example, on the lunar surface, Helium-3 becomes a new source of fusion power, it could shift the balance of power here on Earth. | ||
| I don't think we can afford to find that out the hard way. | ||
| As you said, sir, and I've agreed for a very long time, space is the ultimate high ground. | ||
| We cannot afford to cede that ground. | ||
| So my team did a visual representation of what the stakes are. | ||
| And it's a simple question: what does the future look like in 2030? | ||
| Now, I will note that my team used ChatGPT to make this poster. | ||
| And my immediate comment on seeing it is: the American flag is too damn small. | ||
| And I was told it was difficult to get a bigger American flag on AI. | ||
| That may be underscoring the need to win the race for AI as well. | ||
| But it does give a sense of exactly what the choice is we're facing. | ||
| Now, when we met, Met in my office, you said beating China back to the moon was, quote, critical for our national interests. | ||
| You also said that if President Trump turns on the television and sees Chinese astronauts on the surface of the moon before Americans, you said you would be fired that day. | ||
| In your written testimony, however, you said, We will prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars. | ||
| There seems to be a bit of tension between the commitment you made in my office and your testimony. | ||
| What is your view? | ||
| Will you maintain course with the Artemis program so that we can return American astronauts to the moon before President Trump leaves office? | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I really appreciate the statement. | ||
| First, I couldn't agree more with the President and his inspiring and ambitious goal to send American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on Mars. | ||
| He didn't say we shouldn't go to the moon. | ||
| I suspect the President, as I feel and probably a lot of Americans, is what's taking us so long to get back to the moon and why does it cost so much money? | ||
| I absolutely want to see us return to the moon, as I mentioned in my prepared remarks, determine the economic, scientific, and national security value while we are also proceeding towards Mars. | ||
| I don't think we have to make any tough trades here, Senator. | ||
| I think if we can concentrate our resources at the world's greatest space agency, we don't have to make a binary decision of moon versus Mars, or moon has to come first versus Mars. | ||
| I think we could be paralleling these efforts and doing the near impossible, which is exactly why the American taxpayers funded NASA in the first place. | ||
| Well, I will say on the question of whether NASA has to implement moon than Mars, United States law is explicit, not equivocal on that. | ||
| 51 U.S.C. Section 20302, which Senator Cantwell and I wrote, says, Vision for space exploration, the administrator shall establish a program to develop a sustained human presence in cislunar space or on the moon as a stepping stone to future exploration of Mars and other destinations. | ||
| The notion of the moon as a stepping stone is explicitly in U.S. law. | ||
| Do you acknowledge that? | ||
| Yes, I do, Senator. | ||
| And let me ask you: given the current NASA budget, if we assume for a moment we're not going to see a dramatic shift and NASA's budget double tomorrow, do you believe it is possible to stand up a full mission to the moon and a full mission to the Mars simultaneously? | ||
| Senator, as I mentioned in my prepared remarks, I think we can absolutely do that. | ||
| We can figure out the space economy in low Earth orbit. | ||
| We can run more scientific missions. | ||
| This is the agency that went from sending Alan Shepard on a suborbital mission, and eight years later, we saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the moon. | ||
| Do I think that we can get back to the moon, chart a course for Mars, and do all the other things? | ||
| Absolutely, Senator. | ||
| So, do we have your commitment that you will not allow the scenario on the right on this poster to happen, that China will not beat us to the moon, that one of these heroes sitting in this room will set his or her, and as a father of two daughters, I'm particularly excited that Artemis has committed it will be a her, the first woman will step foot on the moon and she will be an American astronaut. | ||
| Do we have your commitment that we will win the race to the moon and China will not beat us? | ||
| Senator, I only see the left-hand portion of that poster. | ||
| And next time we'll make the American flag bigger. | ||
| Senator Cantwill. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the poster be placed in the record. | ||
| An excellent idea. | ||
| A chairman who was crossing his T's and dotting his I's would have done so already, without objection. | ||
| Senator Cantwell. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| And continuing on this same point, listen, I have no doubt of your capabilities at the technical side of this and the expertise, both on the aviation and the space side. | ||
| It's a question, I think, of a long-term challenge of different administrations to deliver on this goal and how each administration and each Congress does or doesn't support it. | ||
| So I view your job as like wrangling the powers that be to support the mission and understand what it's going to take to support the mission. | ||
| So like Senator Cruz, I want to understand a little bit more about your commitments. | ||
| The most recent economic impact report highlighted that in fiscal year 2023, NASA projects to generate more than $75 billion in economic output. | ||
| And the National Academy studies chaired by Norm Augustine found that NASA's budget is often incompatible with the scope, complexity, and difficulty of its mission work. | ||
| That means that we end up shortchanging it to certain degrees. | ||
| So I want to make sure I understand what your commitment is, because there's been so much in the press. | ||
| Do you commit not to closing any of the NASA's 10 centers or divesting from critical infrastructure without the expressed authorization of Congress? | ||
| Senator, you absolutely have my commitment to work alongside Congress. | ||
| I think NASA is going to require the best and brightest from across the nation and all of our critical infrastructure in order to achieve its mission to do the near impossible for all humankind. | ||
| Do you see any reason to close these 10 centers? | ||
| Senator, there's only so much that I can be briefed on in advance of this opportunity. | ||
| I fully expect to roll up my sleeves and determine where all of our best resources are so we can get back to achieving the mission as quickly as possible. | ||
| The 2024 National Academies report noted that the use of service and firm fixed price contracts at early stage of technology development can jeopardize mission success and degrade NASA's own in-house technical capabilities. | ||
| What are your thoughts about these fixed-term contracts? | ||
| Senator, is a summary. | ||
| I guess, do you agree with that statement? | ||
| They could be deleterious. | ||
| I'm just asking if you agree with that. | ||
| Well, I take two things away from that, Senator. | ||
| First, I mean, having run a defense aerospace company for more than a decade, and generally I am a fan of fixed-firm price contracts and being held accountable to what we bid. | ||
| In terms of the difference between NASA's in-house expertise and what commercial industry is able to provide, I believe NASA should be working, again, per my prepared remarks, on the near impossible, what no one else is capable of doing. | ||
| And when they figure it out, commercial industry takes over and brings the rest of the world to follow. | ||
| You might be one heck of an entrepreneur in relation to science. | ||
| You said you're not a scientist. | ||
| But that won't matter if we make very bad decisions based on somebody's arbitrary budget analysis instead of what is our long-term mission. | ||
| So that's what we're trying to get out of you. | ||
| How do you think we're going to accomplish this so that we have a more listen, the more we can explain this to everybody, I guarantee you the more my colleagues will support it in a budget. | ||
| The more it gets slashed and burned by different approaches by Doge, the more harmful it can become to people undermining the support for the mission overall. | ||
| So you have a big challenge here. | ||
| It's to move us forward at a critical moment. | ||
| Where are you? | ||
| So do you believe that we should have a reduction in workforce or the science budget, some of the things that I mentioned in my opening statement? | ||
| Senator, I read what's on NASA watch and in the news like everybody else. | ||
| If I'm confirmed, I am eager to understand all of the considerations, the discussions being made about a reorganization. | ||
| I believe that we are going to need the best and brightest to do the near impossible, and we should be concentrating all of our resources on the most critical objectives that I kind of outlined in my opening remarks, ma'am. | ||
| Do you support the continued Artemis mission with the space launch system? | ||
| Senator, I believe that is currently the plan. | ||
| I'd like nothing more than to see this Artemis II crew get around the moon and then they're back at home watching their friends walk on the moon. | ||
| I think the real question is, again, why has it taken so long? | ||
| Why does it cost so much money? | ||
| But in the issue of are we going to commit to this, I think this and the lander redundancy are kind of like people see that as a we're going to the moon and we're going to get this done, not this discussion of like we're going to skip these things, shortchange this, and then we're going to focus on Mars in a different route. | ||
| That's what I'm trying to get from you. | ||
| Whether when you get there, I get that you're saying it's the current plan. | ||
| I'm asking as a nominee to run this organization, do you have a different view of that that you think right now there is a different way to do this? | ||
| Ma'am, I can tell you not just as a nominee, but as a space enthusiast who wants my daughters to see American astronauts walking on the moon, it was the left-hand side of that poster that I'm fully supportive of. | ||
| I'd like nothing more than to see Artemis II get around the moon and again see Americans walking on the moon. | ||
| And again, I don't think these are either or. | ||
| I mean, NASA is an extraordinary agency that can do the near impossible. | ||
| We can chart a course for Mars in line with the President's vision to return to the moon before the Chinese can get there to figure out the space economy and do the other things, ma'am. | ||
| There's a lot here. | ||
| So the HICAM program on thermoplastic composites, do you support that program at NASA? | ||
| I think NASA has the best, brightest, most talented engineers and scientists, and we should be working on cutting-edge technology. | ||
| Okay, I will want for the record whether you support that in clarity, not just like, hey, I like cutting-edge technology. | ||
| These are really big decisions that lots of us have already weighed in on, and we just want to know whether they're going to get slashed someday because the president wakes up and says he doesn't want to do it and whether you're going to say yes, yeah, go ahead. | ||
| So this, this, it will take all of us working together. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, I don't want you to keep going ignored through the conversation. | ||
| Mr. My time has expired. | ||
| I will want to come back to you on the MVD, the broadcasters getting more ability in the marketplace, particularly as I mentioned earlier. | ||
| You want a vibrant news competition, particularly when it comes to local journalism, reopening that case at the FCC. | ||
| But I will take that for coming back on a second round. | ||
| And I love that Senator Wicker thinks that you play chess instead of checkers, because we need a lot more chess playing at the FCC. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Grandmaster Wicker. | ||
| Also, you can go out and shoot skeet and then come back and play chess. | ||
| But thank you very much. | ||
| Well, let me direct my first question to Mr. Isaacman. | ||
| You probably know that NASA has eight field centers, one of which is the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. | ||
| The Sennes Space Center is home to NASA's largest rocket propulsion test site. | ||
| If we didn't have that, we'd have to build another one. | ||
| The Stender Space Center also hosts a number of companies working on commercial space programs. | ||
| The Space Center's infrastructure represents substantial government investment as well as private investments. | ||
| So, the day after you're confirmed and sworn in, will you come to visit me in Mississippi at the Stenda Space Center? | ||
| I will get there as soon as I possibly can, Senator. | ||
| All right. | ||
| Well, I think that's a fair answer. | ||
| Now, Ms. Trustee, let's talk about the Plan for Broadband bill. | ||
| We finally got that reported a few weeks ago, and you worked with members of this committee, even as a staff member for the Armed Services Committee, in getting some compromise language on the Plan for Broadband Act. | ||
| Do we need it? | ||
| And what accommodations did we make to get everybody on the same page? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Senator, thank you so much. | |
| It'll take about a minute and a half. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Okay. | |
| Thank you so much for the question. | ||
| Thank you for your leadership on this issue. | ||
| You know, interagency coordination is essential to closing the digital divide. | ||
| I think, as many members on this committee know, there are about 130 broadband programs across 15 different agencies, and GAO has determined that those programs are fragmented and duplicative. | ||
| And there's an opportunity to streamline, consolidate, and coalesce these programs so that the resources are better targeted to unserved areas so that we can get communication services to more rural, remote areas that lack connectivity right now and expand and close the digital divide, or just close the digital divide and expand it. | ||
| And so I think the Plan for Broadband Act is the key to this solution. | ||
| It creates a strategy that will help us to target these resources better to unserved communities so that everybody can fully participate in the global digital economy. | ||
| And we had to accommodate high-cost areas, tribal areas, and also do some compromising on the spending cap. | ||
| So I do appreciate that. | ||
| Let me ask then in the last two minutes. | ||
| During COVID-19, the broadband across Europe suffered several disruptions. | ||
| Did we have that kind of disruption in the United States, or was there a difference? | ||
| And why do you think things may have turned out differently in Europe as opposed to here in the United States? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you so much, Senator. | |
| I appreciate this question. | ||
| You know, I think the reason why we did not face the same issues here during the COVID pandemic as it relates to our Internet networks is because competition and innovation, a light touch regulatory framework we saw worked really well. | ||
| We just have not seen the predicted harms materialize in the absence of more prescriptive legacy regulations. | ||
| And so under your leadership, when I was on this committee, to ensure consumers were protected, even if competition and innovation fail, you set up a bipartisan net neutrality working group to put together bipartisan legislation to ensure that consumers were protected regardless, but that we had a modern framework. | ||
| I thought that was a great example of how to move forward with our next generation networks and ensure that consumers continued to have access to critical connectivity services. | ||
| Has there been any throttling or blocking in the United States in recent years? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Senator, I'm not aware of any of the predicted harms materializing that were projected during this debate a couple of years ago. | |
| Thank you very much. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Senator Kim. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Yeah, thank you, Chair. | |
| Mr. Isaacman, I would just like to start with you. | ||
| I guess I just wanted a little more clarity about are you committed to having a permanent presence on the moon? | ||
| Senator, I think the biggest thing is we need to get back there. | ||
| It's been taking a very long time, and the American taxpayers have invested an awful lot. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I agree with you on that front. | |
| I think we can take that for granted between me and you. | ||
| But I guess I want to get a sense because the chairman laid this out actually, and the poster that he had wasn't just about getting back to the moon, but it was about sustaining a presence on the moon. | ||
|
unidentified
|
And I just feel like I don't have a good understanding of what your actual position is right now on that. | |
| Well, I think, Senator, again, the first step to me is to return to the moon and determine its economic, its scientific, and its national security value for people remaining there. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I saw that in your statement. | |
| And I guess, again, I was confused because in your response to the chairman, you were talking about how Helium-3, this is something that could very well shift the balance of power within the, you know, here on Earth. | ||
|
unidentified
|
What else are you looking at? | |
| Like, what else is in your mind right now beyond Helium-3 and the impacts there when you're talking about scientific, economic, and national security? | ||
| Well, Senator, that's what we need to get there to find out. | ||
| You know, all the best science fiction movies out there have something like Helium-3 as the economic justification for an enduring presence, not just on the moon, but throughout space exploration. | ||
| So I guess, you know, kind of as we've been talking about this, you know, moon, Mars, two priorities, you were much more definitive about saying we need to get to Mars. | ||
|
unidentified
|
So I guess I just want to ask you that same question. | |
| What are the scientific, economic, and national security priorities that you see more clearly when it comes to going to Mars right now than in terms of having a permanent presence on the moon? | ||
| Well, Senator, to be clear, I certainly hope in the future that we have lots of space stations, a full lunar outpost, a Mars outpost, and we are pushing even beyond that. | ||
| I'm just saying we need to get back to the moon. | ||
| We need to figure out why we need to be there. | ||
| And I certainly hope there is a reason. | ||
| What I'm trying to get a sense of, you seem much more definitive about saying we need to get to Mars and putting resources towards that effort. | ||
| What are the specific economic, scientific, and national security interests you see there? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Because I get a sense that you have some greater clarity there than you do when it comes to the moon. | |
| Well, I would actually hope you are getting a sincere answer from me that we should be doing both and the other things. | ||
| Now, Mars deputies. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mars can do both moon and the Mars on the current NASA budget. | |
| I sure hope so. | ||
| NASA is it was built to do the near impossible and have a thriving space economy in low Earth orbit and continue extraordinary science missions to kind of unlock the secrets of the universe, sir. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Well, I guess I just want to reinforce what the chairman said. | |
| I mean, I think we need to have much more clarity in how we are talking about what is our objectives when it comes to the moon. | ||
|
unidentified
|
As mentioned, we have a lot more clarity about what China's objectives are. | |
| And I hope that that is something that you can clarify quickly if you are confirmed. | ||
| When it comes to the International Space Station, what is your perceived timeline there in terms of when we should be starting to bring that down? | ||
| Well, Senator, first of all, I don't know of any reason why we should be bringing it down before what's currently scheduled. | ||
| What I do think we need to do is maximize its remaining life, get as much of the high potential science and research to the station, figure out what that space economy is so when the day does come to hand it off to the commercial LEO destinations, they are in a financially self-sustaining type way. | ||
|
unidentified
|
And you talked about that in terms of the space economy. | |
| In terms of what should succeed the International Space Station, do you believe that that should be commercial only? | ||
|
unidentified
|
ODC prospects of the U.S. government or a government-run space station to succeed the International Space Station? | |
| Well, right now, Senator, if we don't figure out the space economy, whether it's commercially operated or not, it's going to be entirely financially sustained by the government. | ||
|
unidentified
|
So, I guess I'm asking, what is your preference in terms? | |
| Do you see a sense of need for a government run? | ||
| I guess I'm just trying to ask you: what is it that NASA can do that commercial efforts can't do? | ||
| Well, that's a fantastic question, Senator. | ||
| I mean, the line should be drawn again in terms of NASA undertaking the near impossible challenges that, again, no company, organization, or agency anywhere in the world would be able to undertake it. | ||
| I gave a very good example, I think, in my opening remarks on nuclear propulsion. | ||
| That's something that no company would ever embark upon. | ||
| There is no obvious economic return. | ||
| There are regulatory challenges. | ||
| That's exactly the kind of thing that NASA should be concentrating its resources on. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The last thing I just want to say here, and I know I'm running out of time, I'm really hard to see. | |
| I think we're all very proud of the astronauts that are here in this room. | ||
| But I think I could speak for them and say: look, we also recognize the importance of the civil servants playing so many different roles for the safety and the innovation that's out there. | ||
|
unidentified
|
As I expressed to you, I am concerned about how this administration has approached what I believe are indiscriminate cuts and firings at different departments and agencies. | |
| And if you are confirmed, I hope that you stand up against indiscriminate cuts. | ||
| I think we are all very recognizing that there are places for efficiencies and elsewhere, but we need to make sure that we are protecting the expertise that is out there. | ||
| With that, I'll yield back. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Senator Fisher. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our two nominees today for your commitment to public service. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, I appreciated meeting with you to learn more about your experience and your goals if you are confirmed as an FCC Commissioner. | ||
| And as you know, one of my top goals is to maintain a steady and predictable Universal Service Fund. | ||
| Congress's intent has been clear. | ||
| We must keep all Americans connected. | ||
| I also look forward to co-chairing the Universal Service Fund working group with Senator Lujan to advance this priority. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, how do you view the Universal Service Fund and its mission to universal service? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you so much for the question, Senator, and thank you for the time. | |
| It was great to meet with you and discuss your priorities. | ||
| The Universal Service is the cornerstone of the FCC's mission. | ||
| The Universal Service Fund itself has connected millions of Americans across the country. | ||
| As you know, there's somewhat of an uncertain future with the Universal Service Fund as there's a constitutional challenge before the Supreme Court. | ||
| And the contribution base is shrinking as more Americans shift to Internet-based communications. | ||
| And so I think it's incumbent upon the FCC to work closely with Congress and interested stakeholders to identify a specific, predictable, and sufficient form of support as required in the Communications Act to continue meeting the needs of Americans across the country. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| From my experience serving on this committee and also on the Armed Services Committee, I appreciate the differing cultures, missions, and priorities of the various spectrum stakeholders, and I've seen the consequences when they conflict. | ||
| I worry that Federal missions, including national security, can be undermined because of these frictions, particularly when collaboration among stakeholders is strained and consensus can't be reached. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, what do you think the appropriate role is for the FCC in its engagement with the Department of Defense? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Senator. | |
| And I appreciate this question because I know this is such an important topic and a sensitive one, too. | ||
| So, you know, as you've noted, I've worked on both the Armed Services and Commerce Committees, both great experiences. | ||
| During my time on the Armed Services Committee, I've certainly developed a greater appreciation for DOD's national security mission and how critical spectrum is in carrying out that mission. | ||
| I also know from my time on the Commerce Committee that Spectrum is the lifeblood of wireless communications. | ||
| It's essential to meeting our economic objectives both domestically and abroad. | ||
| And so I think given these two experiences, I can certainly help find solutions where there's common ground, where we don't have to sacrifice our spectrum for our warfighting needs, but we can also create opportunities to repurpose spectrum for commercial use. | ||
| And I think the way to do that, frankly, is to have everybody in the same room at the same time, hearing the same things. | ||
| Otherwise, I think there's a lot of information that gets lost in translation, contributing to further misalignment on spectrum policy. | ||
| When we're all together, it can further promote transparency and accountability in these processes. | ||
| How do you think this dialogue can become more constructive? | ||
| Do you have any suggestions on how to do that? | ||
| As a member of the staff on the Armed Services Committee, you had access to classified briefings that others do not have access to. | ||
| So you have a fuller understanding of what's at stake here. | ||
| So how can we have a constructive dialogue? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Well, Senator, I think that's the issue. | |
| You know, when I was on the Commerce Committee, I didn't have a full clearance, and so I wasn't privy to many of DOD's assets and capabilities. | ||
| But when I was on the Armed Services Committee, I had a clearance and could understand better or to a better degree why some of the assets and systems were so essential. | ||
| I'll say, though, I think we have to find a way to accommodate both our national security and economic security interests. | ||
| I worry that if either side of this debate fails, then our global competitors win, and I think that would have a devastating consequence to our economic and national security. | ||
| And I think we're beginning to achieve that way forward. | ||
| Looking at the international role on telecommunications, how can a more unified position among federal agencies boost the United States' global leadership? | ||
| How can we ensure that national security perspectives are included in an overall position that we have for this country? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Absolutely, Senator. | |
| Thank you for this. | ||
| So I had the opportunity to attend the last WRC in Dubai, and I think the takeaway was that America didn't put our best foot forward because we didn't have a unified approach to our spectrum policy. | ||
| And so I think if we have a unified strategy where we highlight key U.S. interests with respect to both our economic and national security, it gives us more time and space to work with our international partners and allies to develop coalitions where they have a lot of similar interests. | ||
| And going into it, that way we can preempt those who are attempting to undermine U.S. values, among other things. | ||
| And if confirmed as an FCC commissioner, the Commission as a whole would definitely have a leadership role in that process, correct? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Absolutely. | |
| So the Department of State typically runs the WRC process, but NTIA and the FCC certainly contribute to that. | ||
| Thank you very much. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chair. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Senator Klobuchar. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chair. | ||
| Thank you to both of you for being here. | ||
| You win the prize as the best name for a nominee, Ms. Trustee. | ||
| So I just wanted to have one follow-up from Senator Fisher's questions, because I care a lot about universal service. | ||
| Senator Thunen and I have worked a lot on that together. | ||
| How do you think the FCC should modernize the USF to ensure its long-term sustainability? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you for the question, Senator. | |
| You know, I know that there are a number of proposals on the table, whether it comes from identifying a specific predictable or sufficient funding resource to ensure the Universal Service Fund can continue to meet connectivity needs across the country. | ||
| There are proposals about a federal appropriation or looking to other private sector entities to contribute to the contribution base. | ||
| I think all of those things should be discussed between the FCC and Congress to ensure we can continue meeting connectivity needs across the country. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| As you know, I work with Senator Wooker on the Data Act to improve the accuracy of the FCC's broadband availability maps, but we know more work needs to be done. | ||
| If confirmed, how will you continue to work to ensure the accuracy of the maps? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Senator. | |
| So, you know, I was on this committee when the Broadband Data Act was passed with the goal of making sure we knew where broadband is available, where it's not, to better target resources to unserved areas. | ||
| You know, as a part of that law, there's an opportunity for a challenge process where folks can challenge the accuracy of the data, which I think can help improve the accuracy of the maps. | ||
| I also think the FCC should work with private sector stakeholders who produce their own maps to inform the accuracy of the maps so that we can better target resources to areas who remain unserved or who remain served. | ||
| Okay, very good. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| And as you know, I care a lot about giving the broadband funding out. | ||
| We've talked to a number of nominees about that. | ||
| And then I'll ask you a question writing on 911. | ||
| So thank you. | ||
| Mr. Isaacman, welcome. | ||
| We had a good talk over the phone. | ||
| I mentioned STEM was really important to me. | ||
| I was looking back in 2017. | ||
| President Trump signed into law. | ||
| I remember because Senator Fisher called me from the White House. | ||
| She was there and she said, What is this bill of yours? | ||
| He's signing into law, because she happened to be there. | ||
| And they did an event. | ||
| So it was a bill authorizing the NASA administrator to encourage women to study STEM. | ||
| It's called the Inspire Women Act and pursue careers in aerospace. | ||
| Could you talk about promoting the STEM workforce in your role, if confirmed as NASA administrator, how you can inspire more people to go into STEM in general? | ||
| Just coming off the robotics competition in Minnesota on Saturday. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Understood, Senator. | ||
| First step is: I'm still working on getting my two daughters to want to grow up and enter into the STEM fields. | ||
| I've tried with spaceflight and I will get there. | ||
| I would love to answer that really in two parts. | ||
| I think the first thing is: first, it is a fundamental obligation of NASA to inspire the next generation to want to be scientists, engineers, astronauts, pilots, doctors, researchers. | ||
| And I think the best way NASA can do that is by executing on its mission. | ||
| I mean, that is what's going to have children want to dress up as astronauts and scientists for Halloween: to get back to the moon, to get to Mars, and to inspire the world with whatever the replacement is someday for James Webb that gives us 100 times the resolution. | ||
| The second part, ma'am, is what I mentioned in my opening remarks about NASA being a force multiplier for science. | ||
| Once we inspire them in their youth to want to grow up and join this grand endeavor, we want to get them hands-on in their various academic institutions. | ||
| I think NASA can lend its expertise, its talent, its bulk buying of rockets, its standard bus architecture, and get academic institutions to want to contribute, whether it's building probes or sensors, get them hands-on so when they graduate, they want to join the greatest space agency in the world. | ||
| Very good. | ||
| You know, I think not just with space, but also with medical developments right now because of a combination of mapping of the human genome, I'm home of Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, as well as the potential of AI to do good when it comes to things like rare diseases. | ||
| We're just on this cusp of scientific development kind of bursting out. | ||
| And I do get concerned about some of these cuts to science-based research and agencies across the government. | ||
| not just space-related. | ||
| Will you be an advocate for science within the administration? | ||
| Yes, ma'am. | ||
| I do believe the president is looking to usher in a golden age of science and discovery. | ||
| Personally, I just spent a few days ago with 50, 40 different science and researchers sharing the results from my most recent mission to space. | ||
| I'm passionate about science. | ||
| I'd love nothing more than to continue to see NASA go out and try and unlock the secrets of the universe. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Phenomenal plugs for Minnesota in that questioning. | |
| I always find a way. | ||
| You'll learn that soon, Mr. Marino. | ||
| So Senator Buran, see if you can top that for Kansas. | ||
| Well, that wasn't what I intended to talk about, but I'm happy to promote my state and have to certainly to Mr. Isaacman, Wichita in particular, the air capital of the world, Wichita State, NIAR, and these astronauts, when I had a conversation with them by phone, asked me the question, do you know that you have the greatest space museum in the world in Kansas? | ||
| To which I said, I know that. | ||
| I'm just pleased that you know that. | ||
| Can I tell the rest of the world that you're saying those things? | ||
| And so I thank you for that opportunity, the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, let me start with you. | ||
| I'm pleased by your nomination that President Trump has chosen to nominate you. | ||
| I appreciate the friendship you and I have had over a long period of time of my office in Dirksen, and we've passed and had conversations in the hall for a long time. | ||
| I have great faith in you. | ||
| Let me ask you these, well, on that topic, let me tell you that it's been my disappointment over time to watch the FCC become much more partisan and incapable of reaching decisions. | ||
| It's changed in the time that I've been in the Senate, as the Senate has changed in the time that I've been in the Senate. | ||
| And I would encourage you to use every effort to find ways to find solutions to problems and to bring the Commission together to serve the American people. | ||
| And I don't know that I need to ask you, but I assume you would say that you will do so. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Yes, absolutely, Senator. | |
| Thank you. | ||
| I want to mention just spectrum policy, as a couple of my colleagues have mentioned before. | ||
| Looking at Congress's options about authorities to the FCC when it comes to reauthorizing that spectrum auction authority, what would your recommendations be? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Senator. | |
| I think this is very important. | ||
| So I would recommend that Congress restore auction authority as quickly as possible. | ||
| I think it can be a catalyst to investment and innovation, particularly as it relates to expanding broadband infrastructure across the country. | ||
| I also think it serves as a signal to the rest of the world about how we're prioritizing our telecommunications policy and where we're going. | ||
| This is underpinning every emerging application that we can think of, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and so much more. | ||
| And so I think by showing that we have confidence in our regulatory processes and frameworks to have auction authority restored to support that kind of innovation, I think that will go a long way. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, media ownership is back in the news again. | ||
| Do you believe it's important for the FCC to rid us of the rules that are no longer necessary or inhibit competition that currently exist in media ownership rules? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Yeah, I appreciate the question, Senator. | |
| I definitely think we need a modern regulatory framework that reflects the realities of today's video and media marketplace. | ||
| As you know, the media marketplace has changed dramatically over the last two decades, driven largely by technology advancements and changes in consumer preferences. | ||
| Consumers have access to all sorts of things: your traditional broadcast and cable, as well as live streaming video and social media, all things that make for a great personalized television viewing experience and things that I think the FCC should continue to promote that allows broadcasters to flexibly compete against technology companies for ad revenues, consumer viewers, as well as programming. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, that's particularly true in rural America, where the options are fewer than they used to be, and local programming is a difficult task to accomplish. | ||
| So I encourage you to pursue those changes. | ||
| One more BEED implementation. | ||
| One of the things we're worried about is the timing of the FCC's efforts in deploying broadband funds when BEED is yet uncompleted, because one of the goals is to make sure that we don't overbuild and that you're not both providing dollars to the same opportunities to provide broadband and internet services. | ||
| So would you consider, how would you consider the FCC in holding off moving forward on allocating 5G funding until BEED allocation decisions have been made in order to maximize that the efficiency of those 5G funds? | ||
|
unidentified
|
I appreciate this question, Senator. | |
| This goes to the heart of interagency coordination. | ||
| I think the FCC and NTIA need to be in constant contact about where BEED is going, when it's going, so that we can be better stewards of taxpayer dollars, target funds to unserved areas, ensure that there's no duplication or overbuilding, as you mentioned. | ||
| And there could be a possibility where bead infrastructure could be leveraged for USF funds or vice versa. | ||
| But I think this all goes to interagency coordination and making sure we're the best stewards of taxpayer dollars. | ||
| So you have my commitment that I would do that, Senator, if confirmed. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Mr. Isaacman, let me tell you that I now have concern about your leadership capabilities. | ||
| While you were indicating that you were working on getting your daughters to pursue STEM education, both of them were shaking their heads this way. | ||
| I hope you can fare better at NASA. | ||
| We're going to fix this, Senator. | ||
| In the short 12 seconds that I have left in my time, I'll ask, I guess, one question. | ||
| Do you believe that the current Artemis architecture featuring SLS rocket or Orion spacecraft is the best and fastest way to beat China to the moon? | ||
| Senator, this is the current plan. | ||
| I do believe it's the best and fastest way to get there. | ||
| I don't think it's the long-term way to get to and from the moon and to Mars with great frequency, but this is the plan we have now, and we've got to get this crew around the moon and the Falon crew to land on the moon. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I recognize Senator from Michigan, Gary Peters. | |
| Thank you, Senator. | ||
| Congratulations to both of our nominees here on your nomination to these important positions. | ||
| Mr. Isaacman, we had a great opportunity to talk yesterday in my office about a variety of issues. | ||
| Artemis came up frequently, as I know it's come up at the hearing frequently as well, including Senator Moran in the previous question. | ||
| And you suggested here and there that NASA can pursue the Artemis program or a mission to the moon and a potential Mars mission in parallel tracks, is how you've been describing it. | ||
| I'm concerned, though, about the possibility of achieving that. | ||
| While we expect budget cuts to NASA, we've already seen cuts and somewhat significant cuts, I would argue, to staff at NASA. | ||
| So my question for you is, do you agree that budget cuts would undermine that vision that you are expressing? | ||
| Well, Senator, I think right now NASA has a pretty extraordinary budget. | ||
| I believe it's close to every federal law enforcement agency combined times two. | ||
| With that budget and those resources available, I do believe we can do the near impossible. | ||
| I think we can have multiple flagship scientific missions at once, which means we can have multiple space exploration missions at once and try and solve the space economy in low Earth orbit, sir. | ||
| Even with budget cuts, you'll be able to do that. | ||
| Well, Senator, I'm not familiar with what's potentially being contemplated, but I will absolutely do the most with the resources available to try and deliver on NASA's world-changing mission, sir. | ||
| So given the, I think it's pretty clear we're likely to see constrained budgets. | ||
| How do you envision speeding up our timeline for the Mars mission that you talked about while also ensuring that Artemis is properly resourced and protected from any future cuts that may come their way? | ||
| Well, Senator, I think across the board we have to acknowledge, as I mentioned in our opening remarks, we do have problems here. | ||
| The presidents have called for a return to the moon and a path to Mars since 1989. | ||
| We spent a lot of money and we haven't gotten this crew around the moon, let alone landing on it. | ||
| If I'm confirmed, I absolutely am going to roll up my sleeves and get in the trenches with the best and brightest and figure out where we have our program challenges, what's impeding progress, clear those obstacles and get back to delivering on the mission. | ||
| If we can do that, then we're going to get the inspirational side of NASA going. | ||
| We're going to get the STEM side growing, and the next generation is going to grow up and want to reach even farther, sir. | ||
| As you know, public-private partnerships between NASA and commercial space companies is a critical part of space exploration efforts. | ||
| You know that firsthand from your flight to space twice with SpaceX. | ||
| And I understand that you have business ties with SpaceX previous to your nomination as well. | ||
| My question for you, given the fact that Elon Musk serves both as the CEO of SpaceX as well as a White House employee and leader over Doge, which has significant influence over spending and contracts, at least that's what we have been seeing. | ||
| Certainly in our meeting, I was happy to hear you say to me that you are not beholden to Elon Musk in any way. | ||
| So I want to give you an opportunity to say that on the record, if I may. | ||
| So first, have you had any communication, emails, text, or calls with Elon Musk regarding how your plan to manage NASA since you were nominated? | ||
| Not at all, Senator. | ||
| What steps will you take, if confirmed, to ensure that he is not allowed undue influence, given the extensive contracts that he has with NASA, to make sure that he has no undue influence over the awarding or the implementation of those contracts? | ||
| Well, I think, Senator, I absolutely want to be clear. | ||
| My loyalty is to this nation, the space agency, and their world-changing mission. | ||
| I have to imagine that in the 1960s, Administrator Webb would have taken phone calls and welcomed the input from all the various contractors that were contributing to the endeavor. | ||
| But they're the contractors. | ||
| NASA is the customer. | ||
| They work for us, not the other way around, Senator. | ||
| Very good. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, you have a deep history working on defense-related spectrum issues that are absolutely critical, as you know, to our security apparatus. | ||
| However, agencies other than the DOD use Spectrum for key public safety applications, and I believe that they need to be protected as well. | ||
| One such band is 5.9, also known as the Auto Safety Spectrum, which is overseen by the Department of Transportation. | ||
| This band allows for the deployment of safety technologies, including cellular vehicle-to-everything technology that certainly enables collision avoidance, freight efficiency movements, and a whole lot more. | ||
| In 2020, some of the spectrum was allocated away from these auto safety purposes, which in my mind will reduce roadway safety in the long term. | ||
| And I believe we can't let that happen again. | ||
| I think my senator from Ohio will agree that we have to make sure auto safety is always put at the forefront of considerations when it comes to this spectrum. | ||
| So, my question to you is: if confirmed, will you commit to protecting the remaining auto safety spectrum for roadway safety innovation like the cellular vehicle to everything technology? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Senator, thank you for this question. | |
| It's really important to me. | ||
| In my time in the House, I worked closely with NHSA on vehicle safety issues. | ||
| So, I'm very familiar with the safe, well, life-saving potential of CBDX V2V. | ||
| And so, I think, if confirmed, my responsibility is to put spectrum to its highest and best use, meaning maximizing its economic and societal benefits. | ||
| When it comes to vehicle safety, that will certainly be a part of the information in the record. | ||
| I'd be happy to work with you to ensure that CBDX can be deployed with the resources it needs so it's readily available to all Americans. | ||
| Well, I hope it is a priority, and if confirmed, we will work closely with you. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Senator. | |
| Senator Blackburn. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you to each of you for getting that testimony in and for being here today. | ||
| We appreciate it and appreciate the opportunity to visit with you. | ||
| Mr. Isaacman, I was so pleased to hear you talk about nuclear propulsion. | ||
| We have Oak Ridge National Labs, we have Arnold Air, which is the only place you can do hypersonic testing, and of course, Huntsville and Marshall Spaceflight is very close to our Tennessee border. | ||
|
unidentified
|
We have a lot of Tennesseans that are there. | |
| So, pleased to hear you put some emphasis on that. | ||
| We agree with you that emphasis needs to be placed there. | ||
| But I want you to just give me a synopsis of what you think is the most important area of competition as we look at what is happening with China, with Russia, with great power competition, what North Korea and Iran are doing. | ||
| Senator, thank you very much for the question. | ||
| For starters, competition can work really well. | ||
| I think competition from a commercial perspective is doing great. | ||
| We've gone from a world where, at one point in time, the nation had a dependency on one launch provider and foreign rocket technology. | ||
| Now, we have a very mature commercial industry with several providers able to help us accelerate mass and people and astronauts into orbit. | ||
| Well, competition works well on the global stage as well, ma'am, so long as we don't lose. | ||
| And right now, I mean, that couldn't be more important in the ultimate high ground of space. | ||
| I mean, that is a critically important domain. | ||
| NASA will continue to press out, lead the way in that ultimate high ground, but we're going to need our partners in the Department of Defense, the Space Force. | ||
| We're going to need to be collaborating and making sure they're watching out for us. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Ms. Trustee, welcome. | |
| And I'm so pleased to see so many of your family members here to support you. | ||
| And to all of the, I guess it's nieces and nephews that are here. | ||
|
unidentified
|
That's right. | |
| And siblings and friends. | ||
| Just know she's really smart and she's working hard. | ||
| Okay, we talked a little bit about spectrum. | ||
| And as you know, it concerns me that 60% of our mid-band spectrum is held by federal agencies. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Much of that is sitting fallow, is not being used. | |
| We cannot afford that. | ||
| We're commercializing only 5% of that. | ||
| So talk to me about the importance of NTIA conducting an inventory. | ||
| the importance of the FCC supporting an inventory, the importance of Congress restoring the ability to have spectrum auction authority. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Senator, for this question. | |
| So I'll start kind of from the first part about restoring auction authority. | ||
| As I mentioned previously, I think this is incredibly important to our economic and national security. | ||
| I think auction authority serves as a catalyst to investment and innovation, not just for broadband deployment across this country, but for emerging technologies and applications that will allow us to be a global leader in technological innovation. | ||
| As far as supporting an inventory, I think an inventory could be good. | ||
| It tells us what spectrum is being used and how. | ||
| As you know, there may be some things that are classified or sapped and they won't be available to the public, but certainly members of the committee could have access to that information to make more informed decisions about spectrum management. | ||
| But I think we do need to have a full view of what's available, what's being used, so that we can properly put spectrum to its highest and best use for economical. | ||
| And maybe even share some of that spectrum. | ||
| Potentially, as the studies indicate, yes, ma'am. | ||
| Okay. | ||
| Talk to me a little bit about USF. | ||
| I know Senator Fisher and Senator Klobuchar asked you about that. | ||
| And I think USF has outlived its usefulness and needs to be replaced with something different. | ||
|
unidentified
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We'll see what the court has to say about it. | |
| So articulate reforms if they say you can keep USF and replacement if they say you cannot. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Sure, Senator. | |
| I appreciate this question. | ||
| So universal service is the cornerstone of the FCC's mission. | ||
| It's a part of the Communications Act to advance and preserve universal service generally. | ||
| Isn't it? | ||
| I just want to know reforms. | ||
| Yes, Senator. | ||
| So there could be distribution reforms or contribution reforms, depending on what the facts tell us. | ||
| I think there's an opportunity to have performance metrics for each of the programs to understand what the efficacy is of each of those programs in addressing the needs. | ||
| There could be better oversight over eligibility requirements. | ||
| There could also be better oversight over participating providers' compliance with those programs to ensure that those dollars are being targeted to those who need them. | ||
| Excellent. | ||
| Thank you so much. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| I'm going to send you one question on Payola because that is so important to our artist there in Tennessee. | ||
|
unidentified
|
And to each of you, all the children deserve ice cream. | |
| They've been awesome today. | ||
| Thank you, Senator. | ||
| I would ask Senator Blackburn, is the ice cream limited to the children? | ||
| Senator Cruz, you showed up on time today, so you too deserve ice cream. | ||
|
unidentified
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I will be certain that at lunch I serve you ice cream. | |
| I will take it. | ||
| Senator Luhan. | ||
|
unidentified
|
It looks like I'm joining you for lunch, Mr. Chairman. | |
| Mr. Chairman, thank you for this hearing today. | ||
| It's good to see you both here and with family support. | ||
| That means something. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, in last month's Supreme Court oral arguments in the USF case, the Solicitor General noted that the FCC commissioners do not have statutory for-cause removal protections. | ||
|
unidentified
|
In our meeting yesterday, you stated that the issue of for-cause removal was subject to pending litigation and that you would not weigh in. | |
| Regardless, it appears that President Trump believes he can fire you at will when confirmed. | ||
| How will you maintain your independence if the president can fire you simply because he may not like a position you take? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Senator. | |
| I appreciate the question and I understand the importance of the issue. | ||
| My job, if confirmed, is to focus on upholding and enforcing the law. | ||
| Whatever happens with what's subject to pending litigation, my first obligation is to fax the law and with respect to the proceeding that comes before the Commission. | ||
| And that's, I think the FCC has a very transparent and open process. | ||
| And my commitment would be to making sure that I have what I would commit to, I have no fear. | ||
| Without fear of favor, I would make a decision with respect to any individual or entity that comes before the Commission. | ||
| I appreciate that. | ||
| Yesterday, when we spoke, I shared with you as a former utility commissioner and the importance of the training I received as an administrative law judge. | ||
| And while we may be able to gather information elsewhere, it's the importance of the record. | ||
| The decisions that will be made that are in front of you will be based on the record that is established. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Is that something do you agree with? | |
| Yes, Senator. | ||
| I appreciate that. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, as I shared with you yesterday, I've also been very disturbed by the actions taken by Chair Carr to investigate broadcast companies for their editorial decision-making. | ||
| In January, Chair Carr reinstated complaints against ABC regarding its moderation of the debate between Trump and Harris. | ||
| Trump complained that the debate was, quote, rigged and stated, quote, they ought to take away their license for the way they did that. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Do you think it's appropriate for the president to call for the revocation of broadcast licenses? | |
| So, Senator, I think President Trump has First Amendment's rights to express his views. | ||
| My responsibility, if confirmed, is to focus on the facts, FCC precedent, and the law in carrying out whatever the decision-making process is for a proceeding before the Commission. | ||
| As part of that, in March of 2025, Chair Carr gave an interview to Bloomberg News in which he said, Any business that are looking for FCC approval, I would encourage them to get busy ending any sort of their invidious forms of DEI discrimination. | ||
| In addition, Chair Carr said that CBS's editorial decision regarding an interview with Vice President Harris would factor into the review. | ||
| My question to you is: Do you think it's appropriate to consider a broadcaster's editorial decisions when reviewing a merger? | ||
|
unidentified
|
So, Senator, with respect to mergers and transactions, I would look at them through the lens of what advances the public interest. | |
| As you know, these are very fact-specific cases that require a thoughtful and thorough review of information in the record, and I would be guided by the statute. | ||
| Let me ask the question very clearly: Do you believe that the FCC should be weaponized against media organizations? | ||
| No, Senator. | ||
| I appreciate that very much. | ||
| Now, Mr. Isaacson, I have many questions for you. | ||
| I want to be, I'm always aware of my members' colleagues' time as well. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I'm going to submit your questions to the record. | |
| Ms. Trusty, I just want to conclude by sharing with you that you have an ethical record. | ||
| You have a strong reputation on Capitol Hill. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Protect it. | |
| You have a bright future. | ||
| We need good Democrats, good Republicans. | ||
| I don't agree with all your positions. | ||
| I don't agree with all my Democratic colleagues' positions. | ||
| But the FCC should be a strong, independent body. | ||
| We need good people there, and I appreciate you being here today. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I yield back. | |
| Mr. Chairman, if I could before we continue, for the record, Senator Fetterman would like to be recorded as an I by proxy on the Roth nomination. | ||
| Without objection, the record will be corrected to so reflect. | ||
| Senator Sullivan. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| And to our nominees, congratulations, and thank you for willing to serve your country and your families. | ||
| Great to see so many families here. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, I want to make sure I get your commitment off the bat to come to Alaska, see the many challenges we have in Alaska. | ||
| You can bring your whole family. | ||
| We can do it there in the summer, go fishing. | ||
| But I need you to get out to my state and see the challenges, particularly as it relates to communications, broadband, internet connectivity. | ||
| You know, people talk about rural, and then there's Alaska, which is just way more rural than everywhere else. | ||
| Can I get your commitment to do that? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Absolutely, Senator. | |
| And you know, when the FCC commissioners do that, they've all come to our state. | ||
| They realize that in terms of the FCC, there's really, really the need for importance on embracing flexible policies as it relates to Alaska. | ||
| The FCC came up with the Alaska Plan, as I'm sure you're aware of, and then they've now referred to that as the FCC's Alaska Connect Fund. | ||
| Will you commit to me to working with any future changes? | ||
| There's a midpoint pause in 2029 relating to the Alaska Connect pause that gives the FCC the opportunity to look at different flexibilities there. | ||
| Can I get your commitment to work with me on both what was the Alaska plan and now the Alaska Connect Fund? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Yes, Senator, I'd be happy to. | |
| That has strong bipartisan support over the last several years in the FCC. | ||
| Pretty much all the commissioners have supported it. | ||
| Can I get your commitment on that? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Yes, Senator. | |
| Great. | ||
| I'm going to ask you a question for the record on media ownership that I'd like your response on. | ||
| Mr. Isa, have you seen the movie The Martian? | ||
| I have, Senator. | ||
| Okay. | ||
| I have a, well, my daughters are older now, but when I took them to see that, they were very inspired. | ||
| And you kind of have the Hollywood version, the live version right here with all these smart, good-looking astronauts in our hearing room today. | ||
| Can you give me your ideas on how to promote better through media, maybe even through Hollywood, these upcoming missions to the moon, missions to Mars to inspire our young people? | ||
| I think it's a really, really great opportunity. | ||
| I don't think NASA's always embraced that opportunity, but we have so many exciting things on the horizon. | ||
| And I mean it when you look at these astronauts and how smart they are and how inspiring they can be to young Americans to serve their country, to study science. | ||
| Give me your thoughts on that and what an opportunity we have to take advantage of that. | ||
| Well, Senator, I completely agree. | ||
| And as I mentioned before, I think it's a fundamental obligation of NASA to inspire the next generation to want to grow up and be scientists, engineers, astronauts, researchers, and set the bar even higher. | ||
| And I do believe the first step on that journey is to execute on the mission. | ||
| I mean, nothing is going to create more future scientists and engineers than seeing American astronauts on the moon, American astronauts on the Mars in line with President Trump's vision planning the stars and stripes on Mars. | ||
| So I do think that is a fundamental obligation. | ||
| I think that NASA right now, we could do a better job, if confirmed, on emphasizing quality content over quantity. | ||
| There's, I think, about 300 different NASA social channels. | ||
| They're awesome. | ||
| They put a lot of good things out. | ||
| I think we can narrow that down and make sure we're capturing the really inspirational footage, what everybody wants to see that inspires them to grow up and want to reach even higher. | ||
| Good. | ||
| I think you'll have strong bipartisan support for doing that. | ||
| I also want to get your commitment, if confirmed, to come to Alaska. | ||
| Senator, as a pilot, I've been fortunate to fly around Alaska quite a bit, and I would point out on aircraft that rolled off assembly lines in Wichita. | ||
| I know Senator Moran would like to hear that. | ||
| I'm looking forward to returning. | ||
| Good. | ||
| Because as you know, and you've helped pioneer commercial space flight, you know better than most that the future of space access isn't just Cape Canaveral or Vandenberg. | ||
| It is increasingly spread across our entire country, including places like Alaska. | ||
| The specific spaceport complex on Kodiak Island is the only high-altitude polar-capable spaceport in the United States. | ||
| There is rising demand for facilities like that at Kodiak in terms of both government and commercial launches. | ||
| They've done both. | ||
| And I would love to take you out to Kodiak Island, not just to see the largest brown bears in the world, of which we have thousands, but a really, really up-and-coming spaceport complex. | ||
| Have you ever spent time out at that at the Kodiak Spaceport Complex? | ||
| Senator, I have been there. | ||
| I did not see any bears. | ||
| I was looking, and I would love to return, sir. | ||
| Okay, so you and I are going to return, and we'll get an eye on some bears, maybe do some fishing with Ms. Trustee when she brings her family. | ||
| But in all seriousness, that is a spaceport complex that I think has enormous potential. | ||
| Would you agree with that? | ||
| Senator, I think that as mentioned before, space is the ultimate high ground. | ||
| It's a vitally important domain for national security. | ||
| I frankly think we need more spaceports. | ||
| We have to always ensure our access to low Earth orbit and ensure national security. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Great. | |
| Thank you. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | |
| And by the way, if anything, Senator Sullivan is underselling the fishing in Alaska. | ||
| It is phenomenal. | ||
| It's not quite as big a state as Texas, but it has enormous natural beauty. | ||
| Okay, Mr. Chairman, you don't want to do the size stuff with me. | ||
| Senator Blant Rochester, yet another massive state. | ||
| That's correct. | ||
| That's correct. | ||
| Delaware. | ||
| And we are, that's right. | ||
| We're the first state, though. | ||
| That's the important thing. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and to Ranking Member Cantwell. | ||
| Welcome, Ms. Trustee and Mr. Isaac Minn and your families. | ||
| I'd like to start my questions with Ms. Trustee. | ||
| As an avid tech person myself, I love this stuff. | ||
| Based on predictions, I've seen that 6G is coming sometime in the early 2030s. | ||
| And I've heard exciting things about how 6G networks will be integrated with AI to enable better connectivity. | ||
| In the House, I was fortunate to lead bills on immersive technology and really helping us train our workforce. | ||
| AI literacy was one of the bills that I focused on. | ||
| And just the notion of being able to do things in real time, real-time adaptive changes, presents a lot of opportunities, but it also presents challenges. | ||
| There were some issues that delayed the initial 5G rollout, such as Huawei's being used as a potential supplier, infrastructure build out issues, and more. | ||
| And I view the 6G rollout as a crucial step in our competition against China in the national security realm, as well as technology spaces. | ||
| Ms. Trustee, if confirmed, what specifically do you think the FCC can do to ensure that the 6G rollout is smoother than the 5G rollout was? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Great. | |
| Thank you for the question. | ||
| And I really agree with so much of what you said. | ||
| I'll start with cybersecurity and making sure networks are deployed in a secure way. | ||
| And I applaud this committee on making sure the Ribbon Replace Fund was fully funded. | ||
| I've been interested to see the creation of the National Security Council at the FCC. | ||
| And I think that's an opportunity for the FCC to leverage its authorities in the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act to ban other high-risk equipment and vendors from our nation's communications networks. | ||
| I also think the FCC can promote the adoption of open radio access network technology, which can help diversify and strengthen our domestic supply chain so that we're not overly reliant on one or two vendors. | ||
| And I think it can help increase security, competition, and ultimately reduce the cost of providing these networks in the first place. | ||
| I'm a big supporter as well on strengthening our supply chains. | ||
| We actually have a Cantwell-Blackburn-Blunt-Rochester bill. | ||
| I like to call those my strange bedfellows bills, where we come together on these issues that we know are going to affect all of us. | ||
| I want to also discuss the potential security concerns about 6G, particularly given, again, the flaws in 4G and 5G networks, such as a study finding that 100% of 4G networks were susceptible to denial of service attacks and 5G being vulnerable to network attacks. | ||
| I know this is an easy one, so maybe it's a yes or no. | ||
| Will you prioritize cybersecurity for 6G networks? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Yes, Senator. | |
| And what other potential measures do you think the FCC can take to best secure 6G networks in particular? | ||
|
unidentified
|
You know, I think a lot of this can be done through AI. | |
| I'm really excited about the development of the technology, and I think there are tremendous use cases in not only detecting fraud and scams, but securing the network itself. | ||
| So if I'm confirmed, I would look to leverage artificial intelligence in these ways. | ||
| You kind of preempted my next question, which deals with so many Americans. | ||
| It's estimated that around 4 million or 4 billion robocalls are made per month. | ||
| In fact, Delaware, while we're the first state, I don't like the fact that we're the first state in robocall complaints. | ||
| I think I've probably received four of them while I was sitting here. | ||
| And there's now this AI-powered grandparent scams. | ||
| Back when I was in the House, as I mentioned, some of the legislation I introduced, but we had one on the Fraud and Scam Reduction Act to help tackle scams that target seniors. | ||
| And I encouraged the FCC, I'm encouraged that they now cover AI voice calls under the TCPA. | ||
| And last year, now Chair Carr supported requiring callers to disclose upfront to consumers when they receive an AI-generated call. | ||
| Do you support requiring callers to disclose to consumers when it's an AI-generated call? | ||
|
unidentified
|
I certainly think that can be helpful in protecting consumers from illegal robocallers, Senator. | |
| And I will say consumer protection is one of the areas that we are very much focused on. | ||
| Should you be confirmed, would like to continue to work with you on that. | ||
| And Mr. Isaacman, we had a very good conversation as well. | ||
| I will be submitting questions for the record because I respect the chairman's time. | ||
| So I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Next, we watch a primetime encore presentation of our 10-part series, First 100 Days. | |
| We explore the early months of U.S. presidencies, from George Washington in 1789 to Donald Trump in 2017. | ||
| We'll learn about the decisions made and how they shaped the White House, the nation, and history. | ||
| I am prepared, under my constitutional duty, to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require. | ||
| All I have. | ||
| I would have given gladly not to be standing here today. | ||
| My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. | ||
| This American carnage stops right here and stops right now. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Each program includes historians, authors, and archival footage from the C-SPAN video library, providing rich context and analysis of presidential leadership during the critical opening stretch of new administrations. |