[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 154 (Monday, December 15, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6832-S6833]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Work of the Commerce Committee

  Mr. NELSON. Madam President, before the Senator from South Dakota 
leaves the floor, let this Senator say that I am looking forward to 
working with him since he will be our chairman of the Commerce 
Committee next year. I will have the privilege of being the ranking 
member. We have a fairly full plate of things that must be done: FAA 
reauthorization, telecommunications rewrite. Fortunately, it looks as 
though we have just done a Coast Guard bill, but there can always be 
tweaks to that. There are a host of things. We are way beyond on NASA 
reauthorization. Fortunately, we have been able to build on the NASA 
reauthorization that was done in 2010, but that needs to be updated. 
There are all kinds of consumer legislation as we get into things such 
as this thorny issue of Internet access. It is going to take some real 
bipartisan cooperation.
  In my discussions with the future chairman, Senator Thune, I am 
looking forward to working with him on this very important committee.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I know the Senator from Florida has 
things he wants to talk about, but I do want to take this opportunity 
to mention that I very much look forward to working with him. I think 
we have the potential for a real foundation, hopefully, for 
accomplishment on our committee.

[[Page S6833]]

  The Senator from Florida is someone who has an interest in working in 
a bipartisan way to get things done for our country. I know of his 
great interest, being from Florida, in the space program and NASA, in 
oceans. Oceans are not an issue we have to deal with a lot in South 
Dakota; it is an issue our committee deals with. It is an issue that is 
very important to a lot of our colleagues on the committee as well as 
the Senator from Florida. So I welcome the opportunity to work with 
him.

  As he mentioned, these are tough, thorny issues--telecommunications 
issues, transportation issues, the highway bill, FAA authorization, 
perhaps something on rail. There is a whole range of issues falling 
under the jurisdiction of the commerce committee that are going to 
require an extraordinary level not only of support from the members of 
our committee but a willingness on the part of those of us--the Senator 
from Florida and I--to hopefully craft an agenda to get things done for 
this country.
  I appreciate his kind words and would reciprocate by saying how much 
I look forward to working with him and hopefully to have a real record 
of accomplishment as we head into this next year.
  I thank the Senator from Florida for his kind words and wish to let 
him know we will be doubling down next year, working as hard as we can 
to put some points on the scoreboard that are good not only for the 
State of Florida and for the State of South Dakota but for America and 
for our economy, because we have so many things under the jurisdiction 
of the commerce committee that contribute to a stronger and more robust 
economy in this country.