Recent Press Releases

  • Rockefeller, Udall Support National Academies' Study on Concussions in Youth Sports

    Democratic Press Office - (202) 224-8374

    Oct 24 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV and Senator Tom Udall today commended the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies for creating a committee to study sports-related concussions in youth. Rockefeller and Udall sent a letter in May 2012 to the National Academy of Sciences urging a comprehensive assessment of how best to protect young athletes.
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  • Rockefeller Applauds FTC Best Practices for Facial Recognition Technologies

    Democratic Press Office - (202) 224-8374

    Oct 22 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today commended the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for releasing a staff report, which he requested in October 2011, on facial recognition technologies and what they mean for consumers.
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  • Rockefeller Flags Moving Companies' Business Practices for Justice Department

    Democratic Press Office - (202) 224-8374

    Oct 16 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today sent letters to the Department of Justice, the Department of Transportation Inspector General, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration referring the results of the Committee’s year-long investigation into the household goods moving industry. Rockefeller released the staff report at a recent Committee hearing, which raised concerns about the questionable business practices of certain companies and showed the devastating effects on consumers.
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  • Rockefeller Urges Senate Action on Cybersecurity

    Democratic Press Office - (202) 224-8374

    Oct 12 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today issued the following statement after Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warned of the threats facing the nation's critical infrastructure in a speech Thursday night.
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  • Rockefeller Seeks Information About Data Brokers' Practices

    Democratic Press Office - (202) 224-8374

    Oct 10 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today announced that the Commerce Committee is asking for detailed information on the practices of data brokers that compile and sell information about consumers. A longtime champion of consumer privacy, Rockefeller said that the breadth and reach of data brokers – particularly with the growth of the Internet – requires a better understanding of their practices and the impact they have on consumers.
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  • Rockefeller on FCC Action to Sunset Program Access Rules

    Democratic Press Office - (202) 224-8374

    Oct 05 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller today issued the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) replaced its program access rules, which prohibit cable operators that own programming from denying other video distributors access to that programming, with a new case-by-case complaint process.
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  • Rockefeller Raises Red Flag on Berkshire Hathaway's BNSF Railroad Purchase

    Democratic Press Office - (202) 224-8374

    Oct 04 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller, in a letter to the Surface Transportation Board (STB), raised questions about the acquisition of BNSF Railroad by Berkshire Hathaway in 2010.

    At the time, Berkshire Hathaway failed to acknowledge its ownership of two small railroads and would have been subject to a statutorily-required review by the STB. These multi-rail holdings raise questions about the Federal approval process of the acquisition in 2010. Rockefeller wrote to the STB and asked for a review of the purchase.
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  • Sen. Hutchison Statement on Bipartisan Report Detailing Problems with DHS Fusion Centers Information Sharing

    Republican Press Office - (202) 224-9767

    Oct 03 2012

    Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, today made the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations bipartisan investigation of the Department of Homeland Security fusion centers released today:

    “For months now I’ve been saying that it would be a mistake for the Administration to give the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) control over our nation’s cybersecurity.  This report affirms my position, and I urge the Administration to take the report into account and not issue an Executive Order that significantly expands DHS’s role in cybersecurity.”

    Click here for link to the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report. 

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  • Rockefeller Asks FTC to Encourage Do-Not-Track Standards

    Democratic Press Office - (202) 224-8374

    Oct 03 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller today sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Jon Leibowitz encouraging the FTC to actively participate in the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) deliberations on voluntary do-not-track standards. While pushing the FTC to continue its advocacy of strong consumer privacy protections, Rockefeller has introduced legislation, the Do-Not-Track Online Act, that would legally obligate online companies to honor consumer do-not-track requests.
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  • Rockefeller Commends FCC Action to Implement Public Safety Spectrum Bill

    Democratic Press Office - (202) 224-8374

    Sep 28 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today commended the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for beginning the rulemaking to implement voluntary incentive auctions authorized by his public safety spectrum legislation. This step will allow public comment on the design of the auctions that will fund the nationwide, interoperable wireless broadband network for first responders.
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