The US Senate version of the TRACED Act, S.B. 151, gained eight more co-sponsors yesterday. Senators Jon Tester (D-MT), Todd Young (R-IN), Angus King (I-ME), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined the list of supporters, producing a near 50-50 bipartisan nucleus (11 Republicans, 10 Democrats and one independent, Senator King, who generally caucuses with the Democrats) now in favor of the bill.

Significantly, four of the new co-sponsors are also members of the Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation, the current “home” of the proposal. Moreover, each of those is also a member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, chaired by Senator John Thune (R-SD), an original sponsor of the bill along with Senator Edward Markey. As previously reported, Senator Thune, who is also number two in the Republican leadership in the Senate, has been joined on the bill by his Democratic leadership counterpart, Senator Dick Durbin.

No Committee action on the proposal is yet scheduled, which now is supported by 13 of the 26 members of the Telecommunications Subcommittee. With Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), who is a member of the Committee, but not the Subcommittee, a majority of the full Commerce Committee now supports the bill. With such increasing bipartisan support, the prospects for such action are growing ever more likely.

The original post can be found here.