The Senate Republican Conference on Jan. 9 ratified Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The Committee has jurisdiction over a vast range of legislative issues, including aviation, transportation security, the Coast Guard, oceans, weather, science, space, interstate commerce, consumer issues, economic development, technology, telecommunications, and more. Additionally, the Committee is also responsible for oversight of several federal agencies and review of Executive Branch nominations.
Joining the Committee are three new Republican members for the 119th Congress: Sens. John Curtis (R-Utah), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.). Remaining on the Committee are Sens. John Thune (R-S.Dak.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).
Three new Democrat members are joining the Committee for the 119th Congress: Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). Remaining on the Committee are Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.).
Cruz previously served as the Committee’s Ranking Member in the 118th Congress and is a member of the Foreign Relations, Judiciary and Rules Committees.
“As he takes the gavel of the Commerce Committee for the first time, Sen. Cruz’s agenda reflects a desire to build on past successes as the Ranking Member and continue to improve the quality of life for all Americans,” the Senate Republican Conference said.
“With jurisdiction over 40% of the U.S. economy, the Senate Commerce Committee sits at the nexus of America’s most critical industries,” Cruz said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the first Texan Chairman of this storied Committee. My top priority in this role remains the same as it has throughout my entire career in the Senate: pursuing policies that will create jobs and spur economic growth. To that end, the Commerce Committee will be focused on expanding commercial access to electromagnetic spectrum, boosting human and commercial space exploration, improving the safety and efficiency of our nation’s transportation system, ensuring the future and viability of college athletics, and much more. I look forward to continuing to work with Ranking Member Cantwell and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find common ground and deliver results that will make a difference in the daily lives of the American people.”
Wilner Analysis
“The Senate Commerce Committee has oversight of the Surface Transportation Board (railroad economic regulation); the Federal Railroad Administration (railroad safety regulation); and the National Transportation Safety Board (railroad accident investigation and recommendations, but no regulatory authority),” comments Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner, author of Railroads & Economic Regulation, An Insider’s Account. “Members of significance to railroads are:
- “Chairperson Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), a critic of Amtrak and supporter of free trade and reduced economic regulation.
- “Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who in November defeated Democrat Sherrod Brown, who was a co-sponsor of failed rail safety legislation that included a 2-person crew mandate (Moreno is unlikely to support such legislation).
- “Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.Dak.), principal author of the 2015 Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act that imposed still uncompleted tasks for the STB, including a less costly and less complex method to determine maximum reasonable rates. Notably, STB member Patrick Fuchs assisted in drafting that legislation while a senior Commerce Committee Republican staff member.
- “Ed Markey (D-Mass.), author in 2019 of failed legislation mandating 2-person crews.
- “Deb Fisher (R-Neb.), who supports scrapping FRA command-and-control safety regulation in favor of performance-based standards allowing railroads to determine individually the most efficient means of achieving specific safety objectives.
- “Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), a supporter of Amtrak long-distance trains.
- “John Fetterman (D-Pa.), a supporter of 2-person crew legislation.
- “Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), an ally of railroad captive shippers seeking open access to sole-served terminals and greater anti-trust exposure for railroads.”
Thune, in particular, “is supply chain-knowledgeable,” Wilner notes. “His legacy depends on his protecting from Executive Branch aggrandizement the Senate’s Constitutional role as a co-equal branch of government. Railroads should wish him a hearty Godspeed. Thune was South Dakota’s rail regulator; consulted for regional Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern; served on the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee; mediated a BNSF-shipper rate dispute before his Senate election; and as Commerce Committee Chair, shepherded passage of the STB Reauthorization Act. He steered passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, enabling the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program that funds grade crossing improvements, short line track upgrades and intermodal connectivity. Thune’s reputation for critical thinking, respect for contrary viewpoints and data-first demands should serve railroads well.”
