Senate panel advances Commerce Secretary nomination to floor vote

The Senate Commerce Committee has approved in a 16-12 vote the nomination of Howard Lutnick to serve as the next Secretary of Commerce, setting up a floor vote in the coming days.

Lutnick highlighted the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s cybersecurity standards at his Jan. 29 confirmation hearing and subsequent responses to post-hearing questions from lawmakers. He argued that the department should move forward with creating AI standards.

In a written response to a question from Sen....