Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S.

The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee has the broadest jurisdiction of all the 16 standing committees of the U.S. Senate. The committee is in charge of all matters that relate to transportation; interstate commerce; consumer protection; sports; standards and measurements; communications; science, technology, and space; coastal zone management; ocean policy; marine fisheries; weather; and technology research, to name a few. Like the work of other powerful committees, the decisions of this body often make the news.

This Senate committee created in 1816 was among the first substantive standing committees. Traditionally, standing committees have a permanent status and legislative jurisdiction or authority [Page 788]to suggest changes in legislation to the Senate. At the time it was created, this committee was called the Committee on Commerce ...