Latest news with #SenateCommitteeonCommerce
Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ted Cruz Trolls 'Fact-Free' Tucker Carlson With 'Objective Fact'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After the heated and combative interview between Republican Senator Ted Cruz and right-wing media host Tucker Carlson went viral online, Cruz accused the conservative commentator of being "utterly fact-free" in his views on Iran and U.S. foreign policy. Why It Matters Cruz's clash with Carlson took place during a two-hour interview that Carlson later posted on X, where the former Fox News host challenged Cruz over his support for regime change in Iran. The two debated a range of issues, focusing on U.S. involvement in Iran and Carlson's claim that Cruz prioritizes Israel too heavily in his foreign policy. Their exchange came amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, which were sparked when Israel launched airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and military targets, killing several senior scientists and officers. Iran quickly retaliated, most recently hitting a major Israeli hospital in a strike the Israeli government said crossed a "red line." Senator Ted Cruz, chairman Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, leads the committee's questioning of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Chair and CEO Lisa Su, CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator and Microsoft... Senator Ted Cruz, chairman Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, leads the committee's questioning of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Chair and CEO Lisa Su, CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator and Microsoft Corporation President and Vice Chair Brad Smith in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 08, 2025 in Washington, DC. More Photo byWhat To Know In a post on X on Thursday, responding to commentator Matt Walsh's commentary about the interview, Cruz wrote, "I agree that it was interesting. But it would have more so had Tucker not been utterly fact-free." "'I've never heard of Iran trying to kill [President Donald Trump]!' [high-pitched laughter]," Cruz wrote, mocking the former Fox News host. The Texas senator then brought up a Department of Justice indictment, writing that "it's an objective fact." The indictment charges Farhad Shakeri, an Iranian operative, with plotting to assassinate Trump. 1/x @MattWalshBlog I agree that it was interesting. But it would have more so had Tucker not been utterly fact-free. 'I've never heard of Iran trying to kill Trump!' [high-pitched laughter] It's an objective fact. Here's the DOJ indictment: — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 19, 2025 During the interview, Carlson pressed Cruz on fundamental knowledge of Iran, beginning with a question about the country's population. When Cruz said he didn't know, Carlson replied, "You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple?" The former Fox News host posted the clip online and it quickly went viral, drawing tens of millions of views and sparking widespread debate among those on both sides of the political aisle. Cruz defended his record and turned the conversation toward the threat posed by Iran, citing the DOJ's indictment of Farhad Shakeri. "You're the one who claims they're not trying to murder Donald Trump," Cruz told Carlson, referencing the alleged plot. "You're the one who can't figure out if it was a good idea to kill General Soleimani and you said it was bad," Cruz added. Carlson countered that Cruz was downplaying the implications of advocating for military action without understanding the country in question. "You're a senator who's calling for an overthrow of the government and you don't know anything about the country," Carlson said. In a follow-up exchange, Cruz said the U.S. is currently helping Israel conduct strikes on Iranian targets. "We are carrying out military strikes today," he said. Carlson interrupted to point out that Israel was leading the campaign, to which Cruz replied, "With our help. I said 'we'—Israel is leading but we're supporting them." When Carlson asked if Cruz knew Iran's population, the senator replied that he didn't "sit around memorizing population tables," prompting Carlson to say: "You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple?" Carlson's rhetoric toward Trump has been increasingly critical, with the longtime supporter—who headlined large rallies with the Republican during the 2024 campaign—this week suggesting that the president was breaking his pledge to keep the United States out of foreign entanglements. Trump clapped back at Carlson on social media, calling him "kooky." During an event at the White House later Wednesday, Trump said that Carlson had "called and apologized" for criticizing him, saying Carlson "is a nice guy." What People Are Saying Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday night: "Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, 'IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!'" Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to Donald Trump, said on his show, "The War Room": "Come on, man. We have to have an adult conversation. We're not going to let the shills at Fox—the same exact crowd that said the same thing about the Iraq War—force the President of the United States into a corner. He needs a range of options." Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, commented on his weekly podcast: "You've got Tucker Carlson going, 'Why are we going to war with Iran again?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, you tell him, brother!' That's how f---ing upside down we are right now." What Happens Next White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will make a decision on whether or not to have the United States join Israel's war with Iran "within the next two weeks."
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump hails deal between senators on government-owned spectrum
President Trump on Friday hailed Senate Republican committee chairs for reaching a deal with Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) on auctioning of government-owned spectrum. Rounds and Fischer had held up Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' because they feared the federal sale of spectrum to the private sector would deprive the Defense Department of critical bandwidth used for radar. Trump on Friday applauded GOP senators for working out their differences. 'Congratulations to Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Ted Cruz, Chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee, Roger Wicker, and Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, Tom Cotton, for their amazing deal on Spectrum as posted last night,' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'This is serious power for American Leadership on 6G,' he said, referring to the next phase of broadband infrastructure. 'We will have the World's Greatest Networks, and ensure the Highest Level of National Security for future Generations of Americans.' A source familiar with the deal said Rounds and Fischer got what they wanted, namely language in the bill to protect the Pentagon's use of prime spectrum frequencies for the entire length of the government auction period. The deal preserves the Defense Department's use of the 'lower three' 3.1 to 3.45 GHz band and 7.4 to 8.4 GHz, which would be exempted from general auction authority and the spectrum pipeline. The wireless industry got the restoration of auction authority. Rounds said Friday he appreciates the new national security protections and would continue to work on legislative language to align the broader bill with the 'intent of the agreement,' signaling some details may still need to be worked out. 'I appreciate the national security protections, and we are working on modifications that will align it with the spirit and intent of the agreement. Negotiations are ongoing and we look forward to reaching a conclusion that will both supercharge 5G as well as protect our national security, including the capabilities necessary to build President Trump's Golden Dome,' Rounds said in a statement. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the ranking member on the Commerce Committee, slammed her Republican colleagues for 'rushing to sell off spectrum' and 'failing to fund' what she called 'essential safety upgrades.' Cantwell warned the Republican language in the budget reconciliation package would run ahead of work between the Federal Aviation Administration and wireless providers such as Verizon and AT&T to ensure that spectrum sales do not crowd out air-safety applications. 'At a moment when maintaining safe skies has never been more challenging, this proposal recklessly endangers national security and aviation safety by mandating spectrum auctions in the C-Band before new altimeter standards are even finalized, while providing zero resources to an already capacity-constrained FAA or to update vulnerable altimeters on DOD and government aircraft,' Cantwell said in a statement. 'By rushing to sell off spectrum and failing to fund these essential safety upgrades, we're setting ourselves up for a catastrophic repeat of the 5G C-band debacle—except this time we risk grounding the armed forces as well,' she said. Trump on Friday slammed Biden for failing to reach a deal on spectrum auctions during his term. 'Biden did nothing on Spectrum in four years but, thanks to 'THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL,' my Administration will beat all expectations, and show World the path forward!' he posted. Updated at 2:17 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Trump hails deal between senators on government-owned spectrum
President Trump on Friday hailed Senate Republican committee chairmen for reaching a deal with Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) on auctioning of government-owned spectrum. Rounds and Fischer had held up Trump's big, beautiful bill because they feared that the federal sale of spectrum to the private sector would deprive the Defense Department of critical bandwidth used for radar. Trump on Friday applauded GOP senators for working out their differences. 'Congratulations to Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Ted Cruz, Chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee, Roger Wicker, and Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, Tom Cotton, for their amazing deal on Spectrum as posted last night,' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'This is serious power for American Leadership on 6G,' he said, referring to the next phase of broadband infrastructure. 'We will have the World's Greatest Networks, and ensure the Highest Level of National Security for future Generations of Americans.' A source familiar with the deal said that Rounds and Fischer got what they wanted, namely language in the bill to protect the Pentagon's use of prime spectrum frequencies for the entire length of the government auction period. The deal preserves the Defense Department's use of the 'lower three' 3.1 to 3.45 GHz band and 7.4 to 8.4 GHz, which would be exempted from general auction authority and the spectrum pipeline. The wireless industry got the restoration of auction authority. Trump on Friday slammed Biden for failing to reach a deal on spectrum auctions during his term. 'Biden did nothing on Spectrum in four years but, thanks to 'THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL,' my Administration will beat all expectations, and show World the path forward!' he posted.
Epoch Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Elon Musk Talks AI, Energy With Senate Republicans
WASHINGTON—Entrepreneur Elon Musk met with Republicans of the Senate Committee on Commerce on May 20 to talk about artificial intelligence and energy. Musk met in his capacity as the CEO of xAI, an AI company he founded in 2023.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate panel advances McKee pick to open PUC seat
Karen Bradbury appears before the Senate Committee on Commerce Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The committee voted unanimously to advance Bradbury's nomination for a seat on the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission. (Screenshot/Capitol TV) Gov. Dan McKee's pick to fill the open seat on the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) won easy approval from a Senate panel Tuesday. The Senate Committee on Commerce's unanimous vote advances Karen Bradbury's nomination to the full Senate for a confirmation vote, likely next week, said Greg Pare, a Senate spokesperson. If approved, Bradbury, who works as a program administrator for the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, would fill the $139,000-a-year post on the PUC, left vacant after former commissioner John Revens resigned in December. Bradbury's experience and leadership in government and energy programs drew praise during the brief Senate panel hearing Tuesday. Supporters spanned her 20-year career in state and federal government work, including 14 years with U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, according to her resume, obtained by Rhode Island Current. She joined the state energy resources office in December 2022, earning $108,900 as legislation and programs administrator. Neither Bradbury nor state lawmakers mentioned her marriage to Pat Crowley, president of the influential Rhode Island AFL-CIO. Crowley in an interview Wednesday declined to comment on her appointment. Crowley referred additional questions to McKee's office. 'Ms. Bradbury's qualifications spoke for themselves,' Olivia Da Rocha, a spokesperson for McKee's office, said in response to questions Wednesday. DaRocha did not comment on how many other candidates were considered for the position. Former colleagues from Providence law firm Duffy & Sweeney Ltd, where Bradbury worked as a paralegal from 2004 to 2008, also spoke and wrote in favor of her nomination to the PUC. 'I've known Karen over 20 years,' Jean Harrington, partner at Duffy & Sweeney, told the committee Tuesday. 'She has an uncanny ability to enter a chaotic situation, stand back, and say, 'OK, this is what we need to do.' She doesn't get frazzled.' That calm-under-pressure personality proved particularly important during her two-and-a-half years with the state energy resources office, which included overseeing renewable energy rebates funded through Biden-era congressional spending. Chris Kearns, acting director for the energy resources office and Bradbury's boss, described her ability to manage abrupt federal funding cuts, grant applications on tight deadlines, and readying fuel supplies with local terminal providers ahead of winter snowstorms. 'Karen has all the personal and professional attributes you would want in a commissioner for the PUC,' Kearns told the Senate committee. The high-profile appointment to the three-person regulatory body carries extra weight amid rising frustration over utility costs and profits held by Rhode Island Energy. Addressing the panel Tuesday, Bradbury acknowledged the struggles faced by working families and frontline communities while advancing the state's greenhouse gas emission reductions. 'If confirmed, it will be my job to ensure all the pieces fit together in a way that is beneficial to ratepayers and businesses,' Bradbury said. However, she stopped short of making promises on rate cuts when Rhode Island Energy submits its biannual electric rate prices this fall. 'I don't want to prejudice any proceeding,' Bradbury said in response to questions by Sen. Victoria Gu, a Westerly Democrat. 'I will keep all of that in mind, and look at the evidence presented before the commission.' The utilities commission by law cannot reject the state utility provider's proposed supply-side prices, as long as they do not include an extra markup beyond what it costs to purchase power directly from third-party suppliers. However, the commission has more authority over service-side charges and has scaled back Rhode Island Energy's proposed investments in capital infrastructure projects in acknowledgement of the extra costs to customers. In announcing Bradbury as his pick to the commission on May 14, McKee touted her experience in state and federal energy policy. 'Karen's expertise in energy policy, combined with a proven track record of delivering real results for Rhode Island—from securing major federal funding to launching innovative programs—makes her uniquely qualified to take on this role,' McKee said in a statement. 'Her commitment to advancing clean, affordable energy will be an asset to the Commission.' A lifelong Rhode Islander, Bradbury has a bachelor's degree in political science from Providence College and a master's degree in labor and industrial relations from the University of Rhode Island. If confirmed, Bradbury will fill the rest of Revens' six-year term, which expires March 1, 2027. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
