WASHINGTON – Sen. Maria Cantwell made historical past Thursday when she turned the primary lady to steer the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Cantwell is the primary Washington senator to function the chairperson of the pivotal committee since Sen. Warren Magnuson carried out the function for 22 years beginning in 1955.
“I stands out as the first lady [chair] of this committee, however I can inform you this, I don’t plan on being the final one,” Cantwell stated when the committee met Thursday. She gained the chairmanship because of Democrats changing into the bulk occasion within the Senate.
The 28-member committee, now with a file 10 ladies members, has jurisdiction over all interstate commerce and several other coverage areas which might be particularly related to Washington, together with aviation, fisheries administration and expertise regulation. It additionally will determine on a brand new $26 billion transportation bundle proposed by Home Democrats and COVID-19 response payments.
Throughout her opening remarks, Cantwell previewed the three priorities of her agenda – COVID-19 aid, planning for the rising significance of expertise and the web, and addressing financial disparities. Alongside together with her personal agenda, the chairwoman additionally can be anticipated to work with President Joe Biden on his Construct Again Higher infrastructure plan, which has objectives like common broadband and sustainable transportation that fall squarely beneath the committee’s jurisdiction.
Whereas she primarily targeted on her proposals for your complete nation, Cantwell talked about some points particular to her dwelling state, most notably saying that she’s going to inquire in regards to the current controversy involving not less than 40 hospitals throughout Washington that will have been provided faux N95 masks since December. She stated she deliberate to ship a letter to the Federal Commerce Fee asking the company to research the masks.
After the ceremonial passing of the gavel, Cantwell and former chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who now would be the high Republican on the committee, instructed senators that they are going to be anticipated to work throughout the aisle to get important work executed.
“Given this committee’s file of bipartisan accomplishments, I imagine that the Commerce Committee is the perfect committee to hold out the nation’s enterprise in a 50-50 Senate,” Wicker stated. The committee was capable of get Senate approval of greater than 60 payments over the last Congress.
With the listening to taking place in midst of a largely partisan impeachment course of, Cantwell regarded to the previous, particularly Magnuson, as a task mannequin for bipartisanship and productiveness. The chairwoman recalled a chat she had over espresso many years in the past with Magnuson, who died in 1989, and the late Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii.
“Crucial factor about, I feel, that day, and people two people who a few of us really obtained to know, is that this committee can function in a collegial style,” stated Cantwell. “We are able to get necessary work executed for the individuals of the US.”
Cantwell additionally will look to interrupt historic norms. She expressed her want to make use of her historic management function to discover methods to assist ladies within the workforce, significantly within the science, expertise, engineering and math fields, and different disparities that plague the financial system.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., expressed her religion within the new committee management to excel of their function.
“We’re very enthusiastic about the way in which you and Sen. Wicker work collectively and all of the work we’ll do,” Klobuchar stated. “We are able to really feel your enthusiasm and we share it.”
