January 30, 2026
Press Release
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to expand its investigation into the Department of Commerce’s actions to illegally dismantle the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to include possible violations of federal district court orders and to assess whether Department leadership has taken adequate steps to ensure compliance.
January 29, 2026
Press Release
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and lead negotiator of the Chips and Science Act, said that sustained federal investment in scientific research, advanced manufacturing and Washington State-inspired regional innovation ecosystems are essential to ensuring long-term U.S. global technological leadership and economic security.
January 29, 2026
Press Release
On the eve of the one year anniversary of the mid-air collision at Reagan National Airport which took the lives of 67 individuals, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, spoke at a commemoration event to honor those who died and the families who have turned their grief into action on aviation safety. The commemoration also honored the first responders who rushed to their aid and the unsung heroes who have supported the healing process and the ongoing push for aviation safety.
January 27, 2026
Press Release
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill,), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026 to improve the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety oversight and its ability to identify and address aviation safety issues.
January 15, 2026
Press Release
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, elicited testimony from experts at today’s hearing on children’s screen time that AI, particularly companion apps, pose an even greater risk to children than social media. The Committee heard from Dr. Jenny Radesky, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Dr. Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University, Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, Director, LME Global, and Ms. Emily Cherkin, Author and Founder of The Screentime Consultant.
January 15, 2026
Press Release
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).
January 15, 2026
Press Release
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to address the safety risks of AI in children’s toys.
January 8, 2026
Press Release
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Todd Young (R-Ind.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today introduced the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act to accelerate quantum technology development and real-world applications that are vital to U.S. national security and global economic competitiveness.
December 18, 2025
Press Release
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
December 18, 2025
Press Release
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, released the below statement following Senate confirmation of Admiral Kevin Lunday as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard: