Ranking Member Cantwell Opening Statement at Today’s Hearing on Why NASA Must Win the Race Against China to Return to the Moon
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the following opening statement during today’s hearing on the importance of winning the space race against China.
AI’ve Got a Plan: America’s AI Action Plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness, will convene a subcommittee hearing titled “AI’ve Got a Plan: America’s AI Action Plan” on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 10:00 am EST. This hearing will examine President Trump’s artificial intelligence strategy, Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan, which emphasizes the need for accelerated development and deployment of American AI products to preserve the United States’ competitive advantage over China, achieve global AI dominance, and usher in a new golden age of human flourishing that will increase the standard of living for all Americans. The hearing will also explore legislative actions to foster AI innovation by preventing overregulation, streamline the development of American AI infrastructure, and strengthen U.S. leadership on the global stage.
Sen. Cruz: Choices We Make Now Will Determine If America Leads in Space
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing titled “There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise: Why Congress and NASA Must Thwart China in the Space Race,” Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) underscored the critical role of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a symbol of American innovation, economic strength, and global leadership.
Cantwell, Congressional Colleagues File Amicus Brief Defending Bipartisan, Independent CPSC
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) to lead 23 additional members of Congress in filing an amicus brief defending the independence of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and supporting Congress’s authority to allow removal of CPSC Commissioners only for cause.
Cantwell Statement on Trump Illegal Firing of Dem STB Member as Scrutiny of Massive Rail Merger Proposal Set to Begin
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, released the below statement regarding President Trump’s August 27 illegal firing of Robert Primus, one of two Democratic members of the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Primus had been confirmed unanimously by the Senate and his sudden firing comes as the STB is set to consider the controversial proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads, that, if approved, would be the largest rail merger in the Nation’s history. If not reversed, the Board would be left with two Republicans and one Democrat with two vacancies.
**NEW TIME AND WITNESS UPDATE** There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise: Why Congress and NASA Must Thwart China in the Space Race
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise: Why Congress and NASA Must Thwart China in the Space Race” on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 10:30 AM EST. The hearing will examine legislative priorities for the upcoming reauthorization of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to ensure continued U.S. leadership in space. It will also explore the strategic, economic, and scientific importance of American dominance in low Earth orbit (LEO), lunar operations, Mars exploration, and deep space missions. The hearing will assess how U.S. policy and investments can foster America’s competitive edge in the face of growing challenges from adversarial nations, like China, whose rapid space advancements pose a direct threat to U.S. leadership in the domain.
There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise: Why Congress and NASA Must Thwart China in the Space Race
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise: Why Congress and NASA Must Thwart China in the Space Race” on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST. The hearing will examine legislative priorities for the upcoming reauthorization of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to ensure continued U.S. leadership in space. It will also explore the strategic, economic, and scientific importance of American dominance in low Earth orbit (LEO), lunar operations, Mars exploration, and deep space missions. The hearing will assess how U.S. policy and investments can foster America’s competitive edge in the face of growing challenges from adversarial nations, like China, whose rapid space advancements pose a direct threat to U.S. leadership in the domain.
Cantwell Warns University Presidents, Regents That SCORE Act Will Widen Inequities in College Sports, Roll Back Athletes’ Rights, Fuel a Football Spending Arms Race & Shortchange Women’s & Olympic Sports
As college football season begins, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, wrote to the presidents and chancellors of more than 350 Division I universities and their governing bodies, warning that legislation currently before the House of Representatives would further cement current inequities in college athletics and consolidate power with the SEC and Big Ten. She asked for their input on how to address these inequities and maximize the value of college sports across the board.
DOT Launches Safety Audit of FAA Oversight of DCA Airspace
The Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General (DOT OIG) today announced it will spearhead a safety audit of FAA’s oversight of DCA airspace. In June, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, led a letter along with Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to DOT’s Acting Inspector General and the Inspector General of the Army (Army OIG) requesting concurrent safety audits in response to the January 29th mid-air collision and ongoing coordination issues between the Army and DCA air traffic control. To date, the Army has refused to conduct its own audit.
Chairmen Cruz and Babin Want Timely Release of OBBB NASA Funds
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Chairman Brian Babin (R-Texas) sent a letter to the Acting Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Sean Duffy, urging swift implementation of the nearly $10 billion investment they championed through the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).