Peter Hoekstra, of Michigan, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Canada; former GOP Representative
George Edward Glass, of Oregon, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Japan
Ronald D. “Ron” Johnson, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Mexican States; former United States ambassador to El Salvador
As a member of Congress, Dr. Weldon questioned the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccines and promulgated the myth that thimerosal, a preservative used in some vaccines, had caused a surge in cases of autism.
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Jayanta Bhattacharya Bhattacharya to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health
Martin Makary to serve as Commissioner of Food and Drugs
Bhattacharya’s nomination hearing was on March 5 and Makary’s hearing on March 6.
The nominations were reported favorably on party-line votes for 12-11 for Bhattacharya. Sens. Hassan and Hickenlooper joined Republicans in support for Makary 14-9.
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), will lead EPW Democrats in holding a spotlight hearing, titled “Freezing America’s Progress,” to expose how the Trump administration’s illegal funding freezes, pauses, and other actions to claw back congressionally appropriated funds are threatening essential infrastructure, undermining money-saving clean energy projects, and killing jobs nationwide. Not only is Trump’s chainsaw of chaos threatening to tank our economy and jeopardize U.S. global competitiveness, but he is also violating the Constitution.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), EPW Ranking Member
Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-M.D.)
Additional EPW Members to be announced
Witnesses:
Dr. Calvin Ball, County Executive, Howard County, Maryland
Caley Edgerly, President & CEO, Sonny Merryman, Inc.
Lisa Heinzerling, Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
Phil Aroneanu, Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer, Climate United
We’re taking over Capitol Hill to save the years of work we’ve done to create a healthcare system that takes care of us all! We’re demanding no cuts to Medicaid or Medicare, lower prescription drug prices, the protection of reproductive rights, and sustained funding for life-saving vaccines and treatments.
Join us March 12 at 12 pm at Columbus Circle in D.C. to push back on the far-right agenda that is putting our lives at risk and for a march to the Capitol.
Can’t make it? Text CARE to 25463 to support the movement!
A hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 10:00 am in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.
The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills:
S. 362, to allow certain Federal minerals to be mined consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, and for other purposes (Daines);
S. 544, to provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, and for other purposes (Cortez Masto);
S. 596, to establish a pilot program to support domestic critical material processing, and for other purposes (Hickenlooper);
S. 714, to amend the Energy Act of 2020 to include critical materials in the definition of critical mineral, and for other purposes. (Lee);
S. 789, to require reports on critical mineral and rare earth element resources around the world and a strategy for the development of advanced mining, refining, separation, and processing technologies, and for other purposes (Cornyn);
S. 859, to modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain land, and for other purposes (Luján).
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee Executive Session on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. ET to consider the following nominations and legislation:
Nominees:
Michael Kratsios, of South Carolina, to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Mark Meador, of Virginia, to be a Federal Trade Commissioner
Kratsios vote 24-4: Cantwell, Klobuchar, Peters, Baldwin, Duckworth, Rosen, Lujan, Hickenlooper, Fetterman join Republicans in support. Markey, Kim, Schatz, and Blunt Rochester oppose.
S. 433, National Manufacturing Advisory Council Act (Peters)
S. 582, Astronaut Ground Travel Support Act (Cruz)
S. 613, Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2025 (Schatz), to require the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to maintain the National Mesonet Program
S. 759, Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act (Cruz)
