The radio industry’s quest to mandate no-cost access to AM radio stations in all vehicles manufactured and sold in the U.S. has reached a key support level in the U.S. Senate, as a filibuster-proof number of co-sponsors of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act can now be tallied on Capitol Hill.
This brought a bipartisan hurrah from Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who chairs the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
Some 60 senators have signed on as co-sponsors of the proposed legislation, something Markey and Cruz call “a key milestone, demonstrating the broad, bipartisan support for this commonsense bill. From emergency response to sports, entertainment, and news, AM radio is a lifeline for tens of millions of Americans. We are proud to fight for this legislation and ensure that AM radio can continue to play an important role in our constituents’ lives.”
Senate cosponsors of the AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act include Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Dave McCormick (R-Penn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
In May 2023, Senators Markey and Cruz led their colleagues in introducing the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and reintroduced the legislation in January 2025. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act passed through the Senate Commerce Committee in February 2025.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) first brought the concept of the AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act to light in the last Congressional session.
