Congress Fills Out Leadership of Science Committees

The policy committees that oversee science agencies have finalized their leaders for the 119th Congress, including several who are new to their positions. While the committee chairs have been known since January, Congress only recently finished selecting leaders for the various subcommittees. These leaders will have the chance to shape science agency activities for at least the next two years.

The House and Senate have also selected the new leaders for the appropriations committees. FYI has detailed the new appropriators for science agencies in a separate article.

Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

This committee oversees NASA, the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is the chair and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is the ranking member. The pair exchanged positions from the last Congress since Republicans won control of the Senate.

In a statement, Cruz named “expanding commercial access to electromagnetic spectrum” and “boosting human and commercial space exploration” as two of the top priorities for the committee. He also recently criticized NSF for awarding grants he viewed as promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion or advancing “neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda.”

Cantwell was an architect of the CHIPS and Science Act and introduced legislation last year that would use spectrum band auctions to raise billions of dollars for science and technology programs that were authorized but did not receive funding through the CHIPS Act. (A narrow version of the bill that increases funding for the Commerce Department’s Regional Tech Hubs became law at the end of last year.) Cantwell also introduced legislation to update the National Quantum Initiative and expand AI programs at NIST and NSF.

Cruz and Cantwell have found common ground in some areas, co-sponsoring legislation to improve weather research and wildfire preparedness, for instance.

The Aviation, Space, and Innovation Subcommittee, which oversees NASA, is now led by Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). The panel was called the Space and Science Subcommittee in the previous Congress and was led by Sen. Krysten Sinema (I-AZ), who did not run for reelection, and Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO).

Moran is also chair of the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee. In a press release, Moran said he would prioritize goals related to space exploration, including advocating for support for NASA, promoting STEM education, and working towards returning U.S. astronauts to the Moon.

Duckworth has previously introduced legislation to increase civilian space cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan. She has also advocated for enhancing scientific integrity at NASA and reducing NASA employees’ exposure to carcinogenic chemicals.

The Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness Subcommittee is a newly created subcommittee that oversees NSF and NIST. Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) is the chair and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is the ranking member.

Budd has previously introduced bipartisan legislation to establish a grant program for semiconductor manufacturing education. Baldwin has introduced legislation to prioritize domestic commercialization of products developed with federal research funds.

The Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries oversees NOAA. The reference to climate change in the subcommittee’s name was removed in this Congress; it was formerly called the Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change, and Manufacturing Subcommittee. The subcommittee is chaired by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), who was the ranking member last Congress. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) is the ranking member, replacing Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

House Science, Space, and Technology Committee

This committee broadly oversees R&D activities across most non-defense science agencies except the National Institutes of Health and is seeing all new leadership on the Republican side. Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) now chairs the committee, succeeding Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), who had reached his six-year term limit as the Republican head of the committee. Most of the subcommittee leaders are also new to their positions.

Babin served as the top Republican on the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee from his first term in Congress in 2015 to 2024. His constituency in Texas covers the NASA Johnson Space Center. The state also sees rocket launches from SpaceX and Blue Origin.

In a statement on his selection, Babin said it is important for the U.S. to not fall behind in science and technology in light of the “growing threat posed by adversaries like Communist China.” He also expressed interest in scaling back regulations, stating, “We must ensure our nation is not tethered to Earth by red tape — industry should operate at the speed of innovation rather than the sluggish pace of bureaucracy.”

Babin has previously advocated for NASA and NOAA to rely more heavily on the private sector to achieve their mission goals.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) has returned as ranking member of the committee. In a press release, Lofgren said she is “laser-focused on sticking up for federal science,” adding, “Since Inauguration Day, the Trump administration has been working hard to crumble the foundation of the American scientific enterprise we have spent so long reinforcing with time, effort, and taxpayer dollars.”

The Space Subcommittee oversees NASA and is now led by Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-FL), who succeeds Babin as its chair. Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) is now its ranking member, replacing Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL), who is no longer on the committee.

Haridopolos is a first-term congressman whose district includes the “Space Coast,” an area of Florida known for its rocket launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Station and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Haridopolos has expressed similar views to Babin in prioritizing global competitiveness in space and looking to the commercial sector to “lead the charge.” He has also expressed interest in moving NASA’s headquarters out of Washington, D.C., mentioning Florida, Alabama, and California as options.

Foushee served as ranking member of the Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee last Congress. In a press release, Foushee mentioned strengthening university-research partnerships and expanding opportunities in STEM as priorities.

The Energy Subcommittee has jurisdiction over science and applied R&D programs at the Department of Energy. Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) is chair and Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) is the ranking member.

Weber’s other leadership positions in Congress show a focus on energy, including vice chair of the Energy Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee and vice chair of the House Energy Action Team under the Republican Study Committee.

In a statement, Weber highlighted his goal to “support the growth of our space exploration and energy distribution efforts” and “leverage an all-of-the-above energy strategy.” He noted that his district has “seven ports, seven of America’s largest petroleum refineries, three LNG plants, and 60% of the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve.”

Weber succeeded former Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) as subcommittee chair. Williams lost reelection in 2024 and was tapped by President Donald Trump to serve as the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Ross has previously introduced legislation to advance small modular reactors and facilitate the commercial application of clean energy technologies. Ross and Foushee both represent parts of the Research Triangle in North Carolina, which has the largest research park in the U.S. and three major research universities.

The Environment Subcommittee has jurisdiction over scientific activities at NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency as well as climate change research across agencies. Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL) is the chair and Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI) is the ranking member. Franklin succeeds Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), who is still a member of the panel.

In a statement, Franklin said, “I’m eager to tackle environmental research related to weather forecasting and ensuring disaster readiness.” Franklin previously introduced legislation to use AI to improve NOAA’s forecasting. Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI) said in a press release that he looks forward to fighting efforts to “reverse climate action and defund critical scientific research.”

The Research and Technology Subcommittee has jurisdiction over NSF and NIST, as well as over a variety of issues that include scientific integrity, research security, STEM workforce development, and national innovation policy. The chair is Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and the ranking member is Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who was also the ranking member last Congress.

Obernolte has a background in artificial intelligence and has introduced bipartisan legislation on AI advancement and standards-setting, as well as legislation to enhance the National Quantum Initiative Act. Obernolte is also chair of the House Task Force on AI and co-chair of the House Fusion Energy Caucus.

Stevens has co-sponsored legislation with Obernolte to establish a foundation supporting NIST. She has also introduced bills to coordinate research between NSF and DOE, authorize semiconductor grants at NSF, and promote early-childhood STEM education grants at NSF.

The Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee has investigative authority in all areas of the committee’s jurisdiction. Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) is the chair and Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-OH) is the ranking member.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

This committee has jurisdiction over DOE and the U.S. Geological Survey. Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) are the new chair and ranking member after former Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) declined to seek reelection and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) ascended to the second-ranking position among Senate Republicans.

Among Lee’s priorities are to tighten security measures at DOE labs and to increase the supply of critical minerals. Lee has also previously introduced legislation to improve compensation for people exposed to fallout from nuclear weapons testing and establish limits on the federal facilities and administrative reimbursement rate for university research.

Heinrich’s state is home to two DOE national labs, Los Alamos and Sandia. Heinrich has introduced legislation to facilitate the commercialization of technologies developed at DOE and to accelerate AI R&D, including through the National AI Research Resource.

The Energy Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the national labs and other energy-related R&D. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) is the chair and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is the ranking member, succeeding Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Josh Hawley (R-MO). McCormick is a first-term senator who has advocated for increasing natural gas production and accelerating permitting for nuclear reactors, as well as relocating DOE to Pittsburgh. Gallego is also a first-term senator, having served as a representative from 2015 to 2025.

House Energy and Commerce Committee

This committee has jurisdiction over parts of DOE, biomedical agencies including the National Institutes of Health, and the Federal Communications Commission. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) replaced former Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), who did not seek reelection, as chair of the committee and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) returns as ranking member.

In the last Congress, McMorris Rodgers put forth a proposal to reform NIH, including by merging some of its institutes and centers to reduce the total number from 27 to 15. Guthrie, who then served as chair of the Health Subcommittee, has not yet proposed his own package of reform but joined McMorris Rodgers in calling for a “comprehensive review of NIH.”

The Health Subcommittee has jurisdiction over NIH. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) is the new chair and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) is the new ranking member. Carter has previously introduced legislation in 2021 and 2023 that would prohibit NIH from conducting gain-of-function research for five years. He has also shown interest in research security, introducing a bill that would require that foreign secondary grant recipients share all information related to the funded research, including databases and progress reports, with the primary grant recipient.

DeGette succeeded Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), who did not seek reelection. DeGette advocated for the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, a bill accelerating medical research that became law in 2016. She has since introduced the Cures 2.0 Act to build upon the current law.

House and Senate Armed Services Committees

The Strategic Forces Subcommittees have jurisdiction over the National Nuclear Security Administration and the three national labs it oversees. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) is the new chair in the House, succeeding former Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), who did not seek reelection. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) remains the ranking member. In the Senate, Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Angus King (I-ME) remain the chair and ranking member, respectively.

The Senate Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee oversees Defense Department R&D and technology acquisition activities, except for those related to nuclear weapons. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) is the new ranking member, succeeding Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who remains on the committee. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) remains the committee chair. The House equivalent is the Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee, led by Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Ro Khanna (D-CA).