Democratic News

April 1, 2026

Cantwell Statement on Successful Artemis II Launch

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued the below statement following the successful launch of the Artemis II mission around the moon. Artemis II is the first crewed mission of the Artemis program and is designed to test the life support system […]

April 1, 2026

Cantwell Statement on Federal Judge Blocking Trump’s Executive Order to Cease Federal Funding for PBS and NPR

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued the below statement regarding the ruling by a federal judge that blocks President Trump’s 2025 Executive Order to cease federal funding for PBS and NPR. “Yesterday’s decision confirms that the President’s executive order retaliating against […]

March 31, 2026

Cantwell, Sullivan, Colleagues Introduce Sportfish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety and Wildlife Restoration Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Commerce Committee, have introduced the bipartisan Sportfish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2026. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). The bill would reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which supports more than $600 million annually in fishery restoration and conservation programs, boating access and infrastructure,

March 12, 2026

Cantwell Demands Federal Agencies Immediately Address Coordination Failures, Aviation Safety Risks of Counter-Drone Activities

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford demanding they immediately address the interagency coordination failures that led to two major incidents last month involving counter-drone high energy laser systems near El Paso and Fort Hancock Texas, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

March 6, 2026

Cantwell, Schmitt Join Forces on Draft Bill to Generate More Revenue for College Sports

Legislation opens Sports Broadcasting Act to allow schools to pool media rights, protect scholarships, invest in women’s & Olympic sports WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), member of the Committee, released a bipartisan discussion draft of […]

March 5, 2026

Trump NIST Nominee Faces Bipartisan Backlash Over Lutnick’s Actions Undermining U.S. Investment in Manufacturing, Chips R&D

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Trump’s nominee to serve as Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Dr. Arvind Raman, faced a bipartisan grilling from members of the Commerce Committee, including Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), over actions by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to undermine the CHIPS and Science Act and Hollings Manufacturing Extension […]

March 4, 2026

Ranking Member Cantwell Opening Statement Ahead of Commerce Committee Approval of NASA Reauthorization Act and Weather Act

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the following opening statement before the Committee approved two bipartisan bills led by Sen. Cantwell, the NASA Authorization Act of 2026 (S. 933) and the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 (S. 3923):

March 4, 2026

Committee Passes Cantwell-Led Bipartisan Tsunami Preparedness Bill

Today, the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed the Tsunami Warning, Research and Education Act of 2026 that would reauthorize the Tsunami Warning and Education Act through 2030. Led by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Committee, Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the bill passed as part of Sen. Cantwell’s Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026.

March 4, 2026

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

March 4, 2026

Cantwell-Led Bipartisan Legislation to Modernize Weather Forecasting & Research Unanimously Passes Committee

Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed the bipartisan Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 which authorizes programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that will strengthen weather research and forecasting to save lives and better prepare our nation against dangerous weather disasters. The legislation is led by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee and Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and co-sponsored by Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Ted Budd