mr. markey: madam speaker. the presiding officer: the senator from massachusetts. mr. markey: i want to rise in support of the traced act, a piece of legislation that will help all americans deal with the epidemic of robocalls, which afflicts them and their families every single day of the year. i want to thank chairman wicker for all of his assistance in moving this legislation expeditiously through the legislative process. i want to thank my partner, senator thune, from south dakota. he and i have worked very hard to reach this moment where democrats and republicans can come together on an issue, which we all agree is something that we have to address in a very serious way. so this question of robocalls and their role in american society, well, it's a daily deluge of calls that americans experience. it's more than a nuisance in 2013. it is a consumer protection crisis. americans across the country face an epidemic of robo calls, bombarding land lines and mobile phones. while our phones were once a reliable means of communication, they have been turned against us and a

where you're mr markey in recent days the u.s. has considerably increased its military presence in the persian gulf but pump a 0 denies that the trumpet ministration is preparing for war we're looking for iran to be a book a normal country and that's our ask and we have applied pressure to the leadership of the islamic republic of iran to achieve that we we fundamentally do not see a war with iran iran's leadership also denies it's heading for conflict now pump a.o. has returned to washington on his european tour allies and rivals alike warned him against war. but let's get some analysis now as sasha loman america expert at the german institute for international security affairs welcome to the show thanks for joining us having is this the start of a deescalation in the gulf well i feel no these processes hardly controllable and it's a huge potential for missed perceptions so steps on both sides are perceived to be offensive even if they essentially meant to be defensive do you think it's reassuring tehran nonetheless that butt out

where you're mr markey in recent days the us has considerably increased its military presence in the persian gulf but pump ale denies that the trumpet ministration is preparing for war we're looking for iran to behave like a normal country and that's our ask and we have applied pressure to the leadership of the islamic or republican rand to achieve that we we fundamentally do not see a war with iran iran's leadership also denies it is heading for conflict now pompei a has returned to washington on his european tour allies and rivals alike warned him against war. san francisco is banning facial recognition technology once signed into law it will be the 1st american city to make it illegal for local government agencies to obtain retain access or use the surveillance the ban does not apply to federal facilities or to private companies. san francisco home to many of the world's techno new years is blazing a new path it's restricting the use of facial recognition technology by the local government. it's psychologically unhealthy when people know they're being watching every aspect of the

markey. >> thank you, mr. chairman, very much.earlier this year when acting administrator elwell appeared before this committee, i questioned him about safety-enhancing features that could have saved the lives of the 346 souls on two of their 737 max 8s, features which boeing had sold as optional as though they were premium seating or extra bathrooms or fancy lighting. but these safety features could have alerted the pilots and aviation mechanics that the doomed aircraft had faulty sensors. let's be clear, we don't pay more for seat belts or air bags or childproof caps on medication. they all come standard, and so should all safety features on aircraft. in response to my question, acting administrator elwell stated that the faa does not permit plane manufacturers to sell safety-critical elements of an airplane for an additional price. and of course i agree with that. but the issue here is whether manufacturers such as boeing are allowed to sell safety-enhancing features for an additional price. safety-enhancing features include ba

markey? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank our witnesses for your commitment to this important issue. and i want to thank the representatives of the syrian white helmets for being here today, your dedication and your personal sacrifices deserve our respect. and our admiration. and our thanks. national security experts from both democrat and republican administrations have recognized the strategic benefits to the united states of robust refugee resettlement. unfortunately, as other senators have mentioned, the trump administration is dismantling the u.s. refugee admissions program, last year, president trump cut our refugee admissions ceiling to a record low 30,000 people. less than a third of the historical average of 95,000 admissions to the united states. and now, almost halfway through the year, only 12,000 nrefugees have been welcomed into the united states, including fewer than 300 syrians. mr. millband, i could not agree more with your statement that the world's greatest super power should not reject the

mr. abramovitz, i introduced the telephone robo call abuse criminal and deterrence or trace act with senator markey, bipartisan legislation targeting the worst of the worst. scam artists and others who knowingly violate the law. a credible threat of criminal prosecution is necessary and appropriate for those who knowingly flout laws to prey upon the elderly and other vulnerable populations. the mandate shows that telecommunication experts work together to determine what systems and what potential modifications to our laws will create a credible threat of prosecution and prison for those who intentionally violate the law. i have heard from federal enforcers that requiring a warning citation in the current one-year statute of limitations necessitating the facility of a fine within a year are hampering their ability to hold that -- bad actors accountable. the traced act will give the sec three years to identify robo callers who violate the law and eliminates the need for a preliminary citation. new technologies have also made it easier for scammers to hide from law enforcement and seek to gain their v