Standing committee of the United States Senate
Senate Commerce Committee Standing committee Formed February 4, 1977 Chair Maria Cantwell (D ) Since February 3, 2021Ranking member Ted Cruz (R ) Since January 3, 2023Political parties Majority (14)
Minority (13)
Policy areas Aviation , Coast Guard , Coastal zone management , Common carriers , Communications , Competitiveness , Consumer protection , Highways and highway safety , Inland waterways , Internet , Navigation , Interstate commerce , Marine conservation , Marine fisheries , Merchant Marine , Oceanography , Outer Continental Shelf lands, Panama Canal , Product safety and liability , Rail , Science policy of the United States , Sport , Standards of weights and measures , Tourism , Transportation generally, Weather and climate change Oversight authority Coast Guard , CPSC , CPB , Department of Commerce , Department of Transportation , FAA , FCC , FMCSA , FRA , FMC , FTC , MARAD , NASA , NHTSA , NOAA , NIST , NSF , NTIA , NTSB , PHMSA , STB , TSA , White House Office of Science and Technology Policy House counterpart United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce , House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology , House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation Communications, Media, and Broadband Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change and Manufacturing Space and Science Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion 512 Dirksen Senate Building https://www.commerce.senate.gov/
Charles Bolden , nominee for Administrator of NASA , center, and Lori Garver , right, nominee for deputy administrator of NASA, testify at their confirmation hearing before the Committee in 2009. The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is a standing committee of the United States Senate .[ 1] Besides having broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, and transportation, the Senate Commerce Committee is one of the largest of the Senate's standing committees, with 28 members in the 117th Congress. The Commerce Committee has six subcommittees. It is chaired by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as Ranking Member. The majority office is housed in the Dirksen Senate Office Building , and the minority office is located in the Hart Senate Office Building .[ 1]
The committee has its roots in the Committee on Commerce and Manufacturers , which served as a standing committee in the early-1800s. This committee was split in two in the 1820s and remained in this configuration until the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 . Under the LRA, the number of standing committees was dramatically decreased to increase congressional efficiency and increase institutional strength. As a result, the Committee on Commerce , the Committee on Manufactures , the Committee on Interstate Commerce , and the Committee on Interoceanic Canals were combined into the United States Senate Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce . In 1977, as a part of widespread committee reorganization, the committee was renamed the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and given additional oversight jurisdiction over nonmilitary aeronautical and space sciences, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The original progenitors of this committee were:
In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects is referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:
"Coast Guard ; Coastal zone management ; Communications ; Highway safety ; Inland waterways, except construction ; Interstate commerce ; Marine and ocean navigation , safety , and transportation , including navigational aspects of deepwater ports ; Marine fisheries ; Merchant marine and navigation ; Nonmilitary aeronautical and space sciences ; Oceans , weather , and atmospheric activities ; Panama Canal and interoceanic canals generally, except as provided in subparagraph (c); Regulation of consumer products and services , including testing related to toxic substances, other than pesticides, and except for credit, financial services, and housing; Regulation of interstate common carriers , including railroads , buses , trucks , vessels , pipelines , and civil aviation ; Science, engineering, and technology research and development and policy ; Sports ; Standards and measurement ; Transportation ; and, Transportation and commerce aspects of Outer Continental Shelf lands."[ 2] The Senate Commerce Committee is also charged to "study and review, on a comprehensive basis, all matters relating to science and technology, oceans policy, transportation, communications, and consumer affairs, and report thereon from time to time."[ 3]
Members, 118th Congress[ edit ] Majority[ 4] Minority[ 5] Maria Cantwell , Washington, Chair Amy Klobuchar , Minnesota Brian Schatz , Hawaii Ed Markey , Massachusetts Gary Peters , Michigan Tammy Baldwin , Wisconsin Tammy Duckworth , Illinois Jon Tester , Montana Kyrsten Sinema , Arizona[ a] Jacky Rosen , Nevada Ben Ray Luján , New Mexico John Hickenlooper , Colorado Raphael Warnock , Georgia Peter Welch , Vermont Ted Cruz , Texas, Ranking Member John Thune , South Dakota Roger Wicker , Mississippi Deb Fischer , Nebraska Jerry Moran , Kansas Dan Sullivan , Alaska Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee Todd Young , Indiana Rick Scott , Florida (until February 2, 2023)[ 6] Ted Budd , North Carolina Eric Schmitt , Missouri JD Vance , Ohio Shelley Moore Capito , West Virginia Cynthia Lummis , Wyoming
Source: [1] [2]
The committee, under its various names, has been chaired by the following senators:[ 7]
Committee on Commerce and Manufactures, 1816–1825[ edit ] Committee on Commerce, 1825–1947[ edit ] Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 1947–1961[ edit ] Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, 1958–1977[ edit ] Committee on Commerce, 1961–1977[ edit ] Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 1977–present[ edit ] Historical committee rosters [ edit ] Majority Minority Maria Cantwell , Washington, Chair Amy Klobuchar , Minnesota Richard Blumenthal , Connecticut Brian Schatz , Hawaii Ed Markey , Massachusetts Gary Peters , Michigan Tammy Baldwin , Wisconsin Tammy Duckworth , Illinois Jon Tester , Montana Kyrsten Sinema , Arizona Jacky Rosen , Nevada Ben Ray Luján , New Mexico John Hickenlooper , Colorado Raphael Warnock , Georgia Roger Wicker , Mississippi, Ranking Member John Thune , South Dakota Roy Blunt , Missouri Ted Cruz , Texas Deb Fischer , Nebraska Jerry Moran , Kansas Dan Sullivan , Alaska Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee Mike Lee , Utah Ron Johnson , Wisconsin Shelley Moore Capito , West Virginia Todd Young , Indiana Rick Scott , Florida Cynthia Lummis , Wyoming
Subcommittees Source:[ 8]
Majority Minority Roger Wicker , Mississippi, Chair John Thune , South Dakota Roy Blunt , Missouri Ted Cruz , Texas Deb Fischer , Nebraska Jerry Moran , Kansas Dan Sullivan , Alaska Mike Lee , Utah Ron Johnson , Wisconsin Shelley Moore Capito , West Virginia Cory Gardner , Colorado Todd Young , Indiana Rick Scott , Florida Marsha Blackburn , Tennessee Maria Cantwell , Washington, Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar , Minnesota Richard Blumenthal , Connecticut Brian Schatz , Hawaii Ed Markey , Massachusetts Tom Udall , New Mexico Gary Peters , Michigan Tammy Baldwin , Wisconsin Tammy Duckworth , Illinois Jon Tester , Montana Kyrsten Sinema , Arizona Jacky Rosen , Nevada
Subcommittees Majority Minority John Thune , South Dakota, Chair Roger Wicker , Mississippi Roy Blunt , Missouri Ted Cruz , Texas Deb Fischer , Nebraska Jerry Moran , Kansas Dan Sullivan , Alaska Dean Heller , Nevada Jim Inhofe , Oklahoma Mike Lee , Utah Ron Johnson , Wisconsin Shelley Moore Capito , West Virginia Cory Gardner , Colorado Todd Young , Indiana Bill Nelson , Florida, Ranking Member Maria Cantwell , Washington Amy Klobuchar , Minnesota Richard Blumenthal , Connecticut Brian Schatz , Hawaii Ed Markey , Massachusetts Tom Udall , New Mexico Gary Peters , Michigan Tammy Baldwin , Wisconsin Tammy Duckworth , Illinois Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire Catherine Cortez Masto , Nevada Jon Tester , Montana
Source[ 9]
^ Kyrsten Sinema is formally an independent but caucuses with the Democrats. ^ At the beginning of the 107th Congress in January 2001 the Senate was evenly divided. With a Democratic president and vice president still serving until January 20, the Democratic vice president was available to break a tie, and the Democrats thus controlled the Senate for 17 days, from January 3 to January 20. On January 3 the Senate adopted S. Res. 7 designating Democratic senators as committee chairmen to serve during this period and Republican chairmen to serve effective at noon on January 20, 2001. ^ On June 6, 2001, the Democrats took control of the Senate after Senator James Jeffords (VT) changed from the Republican Party to Independent and announced that he would caucus with the Democrats. ^ a b "U.S. Senate Committee On Commerce, Science, & Transportation - About" . U.S. Senate Committee On Commerce, Science, & Transportation . ^ "Rules of the United States Senate" . U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Retrieved May 31, 2019 . This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . ^ "Rules Of The Senate | U.S. Senate Committee on Rules & Administration" . www.rules.senate.gov . ^ S.Res. 30 (118th Congress) ^ S.Res. 31 (118th Congress) ^ Mizelle, Shawna (February 2, 2023). "Rick Scott sees retribution in McConnell decision to pull him off Senate Commerce Committee | CNN Politics" . CNN . Retrieved February 7, 2023 . ^ "Chairmen of Senate Standing Committees 1789-present" (PDF) . Retrieved September 23, 2020 . ^ "Chair Cantwell Announces Subcommittee Leadership for the 117th Congress" . U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation . February 19, 2021. ^ "U.S. Senate: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation" . www.senate.gov . Retrieved January 8, 2017 .
Commerce and Manufactures (1816–1825) Commerce (1825–1947) Interstate Commerce (1887–1947) Interstate and Foreign Commerce/Commerce (1947–1977) Commerce, Science, and Transportation (1977–present)