United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Senate Commerce Committee
Standing committee
Active

United States Senate
119th Congress
History
FormedFebruary 4, 1977
Leadership
ChairTed Cruz (R)
Since January 3, 2025
Ranking memberMaria Cantwell (D)
Since January 3, 2025
Structure
Political partiesMajority (15)
  •   Republican (15)
Minority (13)
Jurisdiction
Policy areasAviation, 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 authorityCoast Guard, CPSC, CPB, Department of Commerce, Department of Transportation, FAA, FCC, FMC, FMCSA, FRA, FTC, MARAD, NASA, NHTSA, NIST, NOAA, NSF, NTIA, NTSB, OSTP, PHMSA, STB, TSA
House counterpart
Subcommittees
Meeting place
512 Dirksen Senate Building
Website
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/
Rules
  1. ^ The "Energy" portion of the committee is a counterpart to the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee.
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. Ted Cruz (R-TX) with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) 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]

History

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:

Jurisdiction

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:

  1. "Coast Guard;
  2. Coastal zone management;
  3. Communications;
  4. Highway safety;
  5. Inland waterways, except construction;
  6. Interstate commerce;
  7. Marine and ocean navigation, safety, and transportation, including navigational aspects of deepwater ports;
  8. Marine fisheries;
  9. Merchant marine and navigation;
  10. Nonmilitary aeronautical and space sciences;
  11. Oceans, weather, and atmospheric activities;
  12. Panama Canal and interoceanic canals generally, except as provided in subparagraph (c);
  13. Regulation of consumer products and services, including testing related to toxic substances, other than pesticides, and except for credit, financial services, and housing;
  14. Regulation of interstate common carriers, including railroads, buses, trucks, vessels, pipelines, and civil aviation;
  15. Science, engineering, and technology research and development and policy;
  16. Sports;
  17. Standards and measurement;
  18. Transportation; and,
  19. 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, 119th Congress

Main article: 119th United States Congress
Majority[4] Minority[5]

Subcommittees

Subcommittee[6] Chair Ranking Member
Aviation, Space, and Innovation Jerry Moran (R-KS) Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Telecommunications and Media Deb Fischer (R-NE) Ben Ray Luján (D-NM)
Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries Dan Sullivan (R-AK) Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE)
Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness Ted Budd (R-NC) Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety Todd Young (R-IN) Gary Peters (D-MI)

Chairs

The committee, under its various names, has been chaired by the following senators:[7]

Committee on Commerce and Manufactures, 1816–1825

Chair Party State Years
William Hunter Federalist Rhode Island 1816–1817
Nathan Sanford Republican New York 1817–1820
Mahlon Dickerson Republican/Crawford Republican New Jersey 1820–1825

Committee on Commerce, 1825–1947

Chair Party State Years
James Lloyd Adams-Clay Republican/Adams Massachusetts 1825–1826
Josiah Johnston Adams Louisiana 1826–1827
Levi Woodbury Jacksonian New Hampshire 1827–1831
John Forsyth Jacksonian Georgia 1831–1832
William R. King Jacksonian Alabama 1832–1833
Nathaniel Silsbee Anti-Jackson Massachusetts 1833–1835
John Davis Anti-Jackson Massachusetts 1835–1836
William R. King Jacksonian/Democratic Alabama 1836–1841
Jabez Huntington Whig Connecticut 1841–1845
William Haywood Democratic North Carolina 1845–1846
John Dix Democratic New York 1846–1849
Hannibal Hamlin Democratic Maine 1849–1856
Henry Dodge Democratic Wisconsin 1856–1857
Clement Clay Democratic Alabama 1857–1861
William Bigler Democratic Pennsylvania 1861
Zachariah Chandler Republican Michigan 1861–1875
Roscoe Conkling Republican New York 1875–1879
John B. Gordon Democratic Georgia 1879–1880
Matt Ransom Democratic North Carolina 1880–1881
Roscoe Conkling Republican New York 1881
Samuel J.R. McMillan Republican Minnesota 1881–1887
William Frye Republican Maine 1887–1893
Matt Ransom Democratic North Carolina 1893–1895
William P. Frye Republican Maine 1895–1911
Knute Nelson Republican Minnesota 1911–1913
James P. Clarke Democratic Arkansas 1913–1916
Duncan U. Fletcher Democratic Florida 1916–1919
Wesley L. Jones Republican Washington 1919–1930
Hiram W. Johnson Republican California 1930–1933
Hubert D. Stephens Democratic Mississippi 1933–1935
Royal S. Copeland Democratic New York 1935–1939
Josiah W. Bailey Democratic North Carolina 1939–1946

Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 1947–1961

Chair Party State Years
Wallace H. White, Jr. Republican Maine 1947–1949
Edwin C. Johnson Democratic Colorado 1949–1953
Charles W. Tobey Republican New Hampshire 1953
John W. Bricker Republican Ohio 1953–1955
Warren Magnuson Democratic Washington 1955–1961

Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, 1958–1977

Chair Party State Years
Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic Texas 1958–1961
Robert S. Kerr Democratic Oklahoma 1961–1963
Clinton P. Anderson Democratic New Mexico 1963–1973
Frank E. Moss Democratic Utah 1973–1977
Wendell H. Ford Democratic Kentucky Jan. 10–Feb. 11, 1977

Committee on Commerce, 1961–1977

Chair Party State Years
Warren Magnuson Democratic Washington 1961–1977

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 1977–present

Chair Party State Years
Warren Magnuson Democratic Washington 1977–1978
Howard Cannon Democratic Nevada 1978–1981
Bob Packwood Republican Oregon 1981–1985
John C. Danforth Republican Missouri 1985–1987
Ernest F. Hollings Democratic South Carolina 1987–1995
Larry Pressler Republican South Dakota 1995–1997
John McCain Republican Arizona 1997–2001
Ernest F. Hollings Democratic South Carolina 2001[a]
John McCain Republican Arizona 2001
Ernest F. Hollings Democratic South Carolina 2001–2003[b]
John McCain Republican Arizona 2003–2005
Ted Stevens Republican Alaska 2005–2007
Daniel Inouye Democratic Hawaii 2007–2009
Jay Rockefeller Democratic West Virginia 2009–2015
John Thune Republican South Dakota 2015–2019
Roger Wicker Republican Mississippi 2019–2021
Maria Cantwell Democratic Washington 2021–2025
Ted Cruz Republican Texas 2025–present

Historical committee rosters

118th Congress

Main article: 118th United States Congress
Majority[8] Minority[9]
Subcommittees
Subcommittee Chair Ranking Member
Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Communications, Media and Broadband Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) John Thune (R-SD)
Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security John Hickenlooper (D-CO) Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change and Manufacturing Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
Space and Science Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) Eric Schmitt (R-MO)
Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight and Ports Gary Peters (D-MI) Todd Young (R-IN)
Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion Jacky Rosen (D-NV) Ted Budd (R-NC)

Source: [1][2]

117th Congress

Main article: 117th United States Congress
Majority Minority
Subcommittees
Subcommittee Chair Ranking Member
Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Communications, Media and Broadband Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) John Thune (R-SD)
Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change and Manufacturing Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
Space and Science John Hickenlooper (D-CO) Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight and Ports Gary Peters (D-MI) Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion Jacky Rosen (D-NV) Rick Scott (R-FL)

Source:[11]

116th Congress

Main article: 116th United States Congress
Majority Minority
Subcommittees
Subcommittee Chair Ranking Member
Aviation and Space Ted Cruz (R-TX) Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)
Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet John Thune (R-SD) Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection Jerry Moran (R-KS) Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather Cory Gardner (R-CO) Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Security Dan Sullivan (R-AK) Ed Markey (D-MA)
Transportation and Safety Deb Fischer (R-NE) Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

115th Congress

Majority Minority

Source[12]

Notes

  1. ^ 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 chairs to serve during this period and Republican chairs to serve effective at noon on January 20, 2001.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Kyrsten Sinema is formally an independent but caucuses with the Democrats.

References

  1. ^ a b "U.S. Senate Committee On Commerce, Science, & Transportation - About". U.S. Senate Committee On Commerce, Science, & Transportation.
  2. ^ "Rules of the United States Senate". U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Retrieved May 31, 2019. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ "Rules Of The Senate | U.S. Senate Committee on Rules & Administration". www.rules.senate.gov.
  4. ^ S.Res. 16 (119th Congress)
  5. ^ S.Res. 17 (119th Congress)
  6. ^ "Cruz, Cantwell Announce Commerce Subcommittee Rosters for 119th Congress". U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation. February 20, 2025.
  7. ^ "Chairmen of Senate Standing Committees 1789-present" (PDF). Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  8. ^ S.Res. 30 (118th Congress)
  9. ^ S.Res. 31 (118th Congress)
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "Chair Cantwell Announces Subcommittee Leadership for the 117th Congress". U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation. February 19, 2021.
  12. ^ "U.S. Senate: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation". www.senate.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
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