Cantwell Joins Effort to Ensure U.S. Leadership in AI Innovation

On Friday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science Transportation, joined a letter led by Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) to the Senate Appropriations Committee urging the inclusion of initial funding of $10 million to establish the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (USAISI) in the Fiscal Year 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill or any other relevant funding opportunities. The letter was also signed by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.).

Cantwell Announces Historic Funding to Spur Next Era of Timber & Maritime Industries on WA North Olympic Peninsula

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, announced $1 million in new federal funding from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for two economic development initiatives on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. The funding is being awarded through the Recompete Pilot Program, which aims to alleviate persistent economic distress and support long-term, comprehensive economic development and job creation.

Cantwell Focuses on Advancing Technology to Ensure Safety in Commercial Space at Subcommittee Hearing

During today’s space subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, asked witnesses about the technical challenges faced by the federal government in overseeing safety and advancing innovation in outer space activities by private industry. The Committee heard testimony from Pam Melroy, NASA Deputy Administrator; Kelvin Coleman, FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation; Richard Dalbello, NOAA Director of Office of Space Commerce and John Hill, DOD Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space and Missile Defense.

Cantwell, Hickenlooper Bill to Clean Up Space Junk Passes Senate Unanimously

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Orbital Sustainability (ORBITS) Act, a bipartisan bill to establish a first-of-its-kind demonstration program to reduce the amount of space junk in orbit. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Committee, joined Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) in introducing the bill in February and it passed the Committee in July. It now heads to the House.

Cantwell Says Commercial Space Brings Unprecedented Workforce Opportunities

During the subcommittee hearing on safety and innovation in commercial human space activities, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, emphasized the need to build a robust space workforce to keep pace with the emerging commercial space industry to ensure both safety and innovation demands are being met.

Cantwell Opening Statement During CHIPS and Science Implementation Hearing

As a chief architect of the CHIPS and Science Act, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing on the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act that authorized nearly $250 billion to spur American manufacturing, research and development, create thousands […]

Cantwell, Hickenlooper ORBITS Act to Clean Up Space Junk Heads to Full Senate

Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed the Orbital Sustainability (ORBITS) Act, a bipartisan bill to establish a first-of-its-kind demonstration program to reduce the amount of space junk in orbit. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Committee, joined Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in introducing the bill in February. The bill now heads to the Senate floor.

Senate Commerce Committee Approves 11 Bills, Including Bipartisan Children’s Online Privacy Legislation

During an Executive Session today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved 11 bipartisan bills, including legislation aimed at protecting children’s online privacy: the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Other important bills approved included the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, the ORBITS Act, the TICKET Act, the COOL Online Act and several manufacturing bills. These bills now head to the Senate floor.