Business meeting to consider the nomination of Arielle Roth, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

2025-04-09

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

This meeting of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation convened to consider several nominations, including Ariel Roth to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Jared Isaacman for NASA Administrator, and Olivia Trustee for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)[ 00:33:58-00:34:08 ] . Discussions covered critical issues such as space exploration priorities, spectrum management, broadband access, and the independence of regulatory bodies[ 01:22:09-01:23:11 ]

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Themes

Ariel Roth's Nomination for NTIA

Ariel Roth was nominated to lead the NTIA, with Chairman Cruz highlighting her expertise in telecommunications law and policy[ 00:34:17-00:34:24 ] . He also lauded her commitment to finding "win-win" solutions for spectrum allocation and her understanding of the challenges facing the BEAD program[ 00:34:26-00:34:26 ] [ 00:36:08 ]

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. Ranking Member Cantwell, however, expressed concerns about Roth's lack of explicit commitment to existing investments and an evidence-based approach to spectrum management, citing past issues like 5G interference with aviation safety. Cantwell also noted Roth's reluctance to commit to honoring NTIA's agreements with states and tribes regarding the BEAD program. Despite these objections, Roth's nomination was favorably reported with a vote of 15-13[ 00:41:14 ]

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[ 00:42:50 ]

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NASA Administrator Nomination (Jared Isaacman)

Jared Isaacman was nominated to lead NASA, with strong endorsements emphasizing his background as an entrepreneur, pilot, and astronaut. Isaacman stressed the importance of American leadership in space, particularly in competition with China, and outlined objectives to prioritize sending astronauts to Mars, ignite a thriving space economy, and leverage NASA for scientific discoveries. Senators pressed Isaacman on his commitment to the Artemis program and a sustained human presence on the Moon, as mandated by U.S. law, to which he affirmed his support while also emphasizing the parallel pursuit of Mars[ 02:56:28 ]

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. Concerns were raised regarding potential budget cuts and undue influence from Elon Musk due to Isaacman's commercial space ties. Isaacman committed to following the law, maximizing the International Space Station's utility, and ensuring NASA's independence from commercial interests[ 02:03:50 ]

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FCC Commissioner Nomination (Olivia Trusty)

Olivia Trusty was nominated for FCC Commissioner, with Senator Wicker praising her extensive experience in telecommunications policy and national security. Trusty committed to expanding high-speed internet, protecting consumers from robocalls, strengthening network security, and restoring U.S. leadership in communications technologies. Discussions focused on modernizing the Universal Service Fund, ensuring accurate broadband maps, and fostering interagency coordination on spectrum policy, especially with the Department of Defense. Trusty emphasized the need for a modern regulatory framework for media ownership and supported restoring the FCC's spectrum auction authority[ 01:57:21-01:57:21 ]

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. She also affirmed her belief in the First Amendment and that the FCC should not be "weaponized" for political purposes[ 02:15:22 ]

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Tone of the Meeting

The tone of the meeting was largely professional and deliberative, though marked by significant partisan divides on certain issues. Chairman Cruz and Republican senators generally expressed strong support for the nominees and their visions, particularly regarding competition with China in space and telecommunications[ 00:34:09-00:34:24 ] [ 02:07:42 ]

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. Democratic senators, led by Ranking Member Cantwell, raised pointed questions about budgetary implications, the independence of agencies, and potential conflicts of interest, often expressing skepticism about the nominees' commitments. There were moments of lightheartedness, particularly concerning Ariel Roth's newborn and the number of astronauts present[ 00:34:31-00:34:52 ] [ 00:58:14-00:58:38 ]

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, but also tense exchanges, especially regarding Isaacman's relationship with Elon Musk and his commitment to specific NASA programs. The strong affirmations of commitment to the law by both nominees were a recurring theme[ 02:39:38 ]

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[ 02:56:28 ]

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[ 02:58:14 ]

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Participants

Transcript

Thank you.
That is a wonderful thing, but at the same time, I know everyone's calendar is tight, so since we now have a quorum, we will gavel in.  Good morning.  And we are going to start with a markup briefly, and then we will move to the hearing.  The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will come to order.  Today, we will consider the nomination of Ariel Roth.   to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NTIA.  Ariel is an exceptional candidate for this position, and if I may say so, an exceptional person.  Ariel is currently serving as my policy director for telecommunications on this committee.  As I've directly observed, Ariel knows telecommunications law and policy as well as anyone else in this town.   She has served as the wireline advisor to former FCC Commissioner Michael O'Reilly, as a detailee to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and here in the Senate as legislative counsel to former Senator and committee member Roy Blunt.  She'll bring energy and enthusiasm to NTIA, where she will pursue a win-win solution on spectrum that addresses both commercial and national security concerns.   Now, I know the question many of you are wondering, has the baby come?  And the answer is yes.  As of 12.10 a.m., Ariel gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who is 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and she joins her three sisters and two brothers.  I have to commend Ariel's timing of giving birth on the day of the voting committee on her confirmation that— Congratulations.   I don't know if her daughter has been named yet, but I am sure that little Bede will be a beautiful young girl.
And I'm going to get in trouble with Ariel for that one.  During her confirmation hearing, Ariel promised to administer the Bede program, quote, to the benefit of the American people, not to any single individual or company.   Bede desperately needs a revamp.  The program has yet to connect a single American to high-speed Internet after 1,241 days.  A major barrier is its laborious 14-step process, which writer Ezra Klein painstakingly outlined to a nonplussed Jon Stewart the other week.   To quote Jon Stewart, I'm speechless, Ezra.  Honestly, it's far worse than I could have imagined.  Here's something I don't say often.  I agree with Jon Stewart.  Ariel fully understands these challenges and knows what it takes to finish the job.  That's why she has the backing of dozens of stakeholders from across the country.  To my Democrat colleagues,   While I understand you may have strenuous objections to the overall direction of the Trump administration, you should know that Ariel is thoughtful, honest, and as receptive to the concerns of your side of the aisle as any nominee will have before us.  We all know the importance of knowing a person in the executive branch whom we can call on and trust to listen to our views.  So on the day of the birth of her sixth child,   I hope that you will join me in supporting Ariel in a strong bipartisan showing in her home committee.  I now turn to Ranking Member Cantwell for her opening remarks.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for making that wonderful announcement about Ariel and her family.  It was a delight to have her and her husband and her children in the audience.  Probably one of the most delightful moments that the committee has had in watching them, and we certainly congratulate her and her family.  And I also, too, want to   recognize the astronauts that I'm sure you will probably recognize later.  But Reid Weissman, Victor Glover, Christina Cox, and Jeremy Hansen of the Artemis team that are here, thank you so much.  We're very proud of you.  Thank you.  We're very proud of, in the state of Washington, Commander Anne McClain, who is leading the Crew 10   Expedition right now.  And so you're all nodding.  So you all know her and It just is amazing what you're all doing.  And so we look forward to this Hearing with mr. Isaacson and miss trustee, but let me address the Roth nomination this morning for Secretary of Communications and information at the Department of Commerce When miss Roth was before the committee and gave opening remarks.  I did think that we would get more of an NTIA   commitment on critical issues for U.S.  leadership and for interagency wrangling, because interagency wrangling is definitely a big part of NTIA's mission to get us a clear spectrum policy.

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