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Whistleblower

Issue: Science and Space

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.

New Democratic Staff Report: Direct Evidence Trump Administration Has Been Illegally Imposing President’s Proposed Budget Cuts at NASA Since Early Summer—Threatening Safety, Mission, Science

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, released a new staff report revealing that OMB Director Russell Vought has been directing NASA—since early summer—to begin implementing the devastating cuts in President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request (PBR), without regard for the destructive impacts to NASA’s missions, safety and workforce. Based on whistleblower reports and documents, the report also reveals that Vought plans to impound NASA funds “to get to the PBR” under a continuing resolution (CR), in violation of the Constitution.

Cantwell Questions NTSB Nominee Over FAA Failure to Implement Safety Recommendations, Including ADS-B In Technology

During the nomination hearing of Michael Graham to serve on the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB), U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, continued her criticism of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety oversight, pointing to the agency’s failure to act on numerous warnings at Washington National Airport (DCA) and its long delays in implementing NTSB safety recommendations, including ADS-B In and Out technology.