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Whistleblower

Issue: Science and Space

Cantwell, Cruz Introduce Resolution Honoring the Exceptional Success of the Artemis II Mission

U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today introduced a resolution to commemorate the hugely successful Artemis II mission that launched on April 1, 2026, and returned astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen safely to Earth on April 10, 2026. The Artemis II mission took humans farther from Earth than ever before, when on April 6, 2026, the crew surpassed the record set by Apollo 13 for the farthest distance traveled by astronauts into deep space.

Cantwell, Young Resolution Marking World Quantum Day Passes Senate

The United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) to commemorate and support the goals of World Quantum Day, recognized annually on April 14. World Quantum Day highlights the significance of the quantum mechanics in everyday-life technologies, such as semiconductors, GPS systems, and MRI imaging.

Cantwell Speaks Live to Artemis II Crew

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, spoke to the Artemis II crew from her Seattle office as they return from their mission around the moon.

Commerce Committee Passes Landmark NASA Authorization Act

Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation unanimously passed the NASA Authorization Act of 2026, led by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee, Ted Cruz, (R-Texas), Chairman of the Committee, and Committee members Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). The bipartisan legislation authorizes $24.7 billion for Fiscal Year 2026, and $25.3 billion for Fiscal Year 2027 for NASA, a 2.5 percent increase over the previous year, and provides the clear guidance needed to maintain American leadership in aeronautics, space exploration, Earth and space science, and space technology development.

Cantwell, Moran Introduce Bill to Boost AI Education

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a senior member of the Commerce Committee, introduced the bipartisan NSF AI Education Act of 2026 to expand scholarship and professional development opportunities to study artificial intelligence with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Cantwell, Young, Hickenlooper and Blackburn Reintroduce Bill to Ensure U.S. Leads Global AI Innovation

U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) today reintroduced the bipartisan Future of AI Innovation Act, which lays the foundation to maintain U.S. leadership in the global race to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies. The legislation promotes strong partnerships between government, business, civil society and academia to advance AI research. It authorizes the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to promote the development of voluntary standards and creates testbeds with national labs to accelerate groundbreaking AI innovation for the benefit of future economic growth and national security.

Science Survives Existential Threat From Trump Budget as Senate Rejects Gutting NASA, NSF, & NIST

America’s leading science agencies have survived an existential threat thanks to bipartisan rejection of massive budget cuts proposed by the Trump Administration. The Senate overwhelmingly passed the three-bill FY26 appropriations package including Commerce, Justice, Science. The bill stabilizes funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Science Foundation (NSF), and boosts funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Cantwell and Merkley Lead Senate Democrats in Demanding Answers on NIST’s Unauthorized Dismantling of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Budget, led 27 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter demanding Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology Craig Burkhardt provide clear answers to why the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been withholding and delaying congressionally-approved funds to the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program’s Centers and why the Administration has repeatedly insisted MEP is inconsistent with their priorities. The MEP Program is a national network of go-to experts that help small and medium-sized manufacturers enhance productivity and adopt advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.