Aviation and Space

The Subcommittee on Aviation and Space has jurisdiction over technology, engineering, astronautical and aeronautical research and development; national and civil space policy; civil aviation research, development, and demonstration, and aviation safety and protection of consumers. The subcommittee conducts oversight on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the civil aviation and civil space policy functions of the Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce, and National Space Council within the Executive Office of the President.

Subcommittee Members

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas – Chairman
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz. – Ranking Member

Majority: 

Sen. John Thune, R- S.D.
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah


Minority:

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii
Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M.
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.

Hearings

Hearings 05/8/2018
Keeping Pace with Innovation – Update on the Safe Integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems into the Airspace
Hearings 09/28/2017
TSA Modernization: Improvements to Aviation Security
Click to view livestream.
Hearings 06/7/2017
FAA Reauthorization: Administration Perspectives
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao will testify on key aviation issues before the Department and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Hearings 05/4/2017
Questions, Answers, and Perspectives on the Current State of Airline Travel
Click to view livestream.
Hearings 04/6/2017
FAA Reauthorization: Perspectives on Rural Air Service and the General Aviation Community
Click to view livestream.

Press Releases

Press Releases 03/27/2019
Cantwell Delivers Remarks at Commerce Subcommittee Hearing on Aviation Safety
Press Releases 09/27/2017
Thune, Nelson, Blunt and Cantwell Introduce Bill to Reform TSA Aviation Security
U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who serve as the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, along with Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), who serve as the chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security, today introduced S. 1872, the TSA Modernization Act.
Press Releases 09/22/2017
Subcommittee to Examine TSA Aviation Security Reforms
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-M.O.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security, will convene a legislative hearing titled “TSA Modernization: Improvements to Aviation Security” at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 28, 2017.
Press Releases 04/28/2017
Aviation Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on State of Airline Travel
This hearing will explore consumer protections and the state of airline travel. Following the forcible removal of an airline passenger on April 9, 2017, bipartisan Commerce Committee leaders sent letters of inquiry to United Airlines and the Chicago Department of Aviation, which operates O’Hare International Airport. United Airlines announced policy changes on April 27 developed in the aftermath of the incident designed to avoid such incidents in the future.
Press Releases 04/21/2017
Committee Leadership Statement on United Airlines and Chicago O’Hare Missing Deadline for Information on Forcible Passenger Removal
“We’re disappointed that neither United Airlines nor the Chicago Department of Aviation has yet provided substantive answers to the straightforward questions we asked about the forcible removal of a passenger on April 9, 2017. Getting answers for the public about what happened and what can be done to prevent such an incident from happening again is a priority for the members of our committee."