United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

Template:Being merged fromTemplate:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. congressional committee The United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is responsible for legislation and oversight of the natural and built environment and for studying matters concerning environmental protection and resource conservation and utilitization.

Jurisdiction

In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects is referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works:

1. Air pollution;
2. Construction and maintenance of highways;
3. Environmental aspects of Outer Continental Shelf lands;
4. Environmental effects of toxic substances, other than pesticides;
5. Environmental policy;
6. Environmental research and development;
7. Fisheries and wildlife;
8. Flood control and improvements of rivers and harbors, including environmental aspects of deepwater ports;
9. Noise pollution;
10. Nonmilitary environmental regulation and control of nuclear energy;
11. Ocean dumping;
12. Public buildings and improved grounds of the United States generally, including Federal buildings in the District of Columbia;
13. Public works, bridges, and dams;
14. Regional economic development;
15. Solid waste disposal and recycling;
16. Water pollution; and,
17. Water resources.

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is also charged to "study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to environmental protection and resource utilization and conservation, and report thereon from time to time."

Members, 119th Congress

Majority	Minority
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia, Chair Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming John Curtis, Utah Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Dan Sullivan, Alaska Pete Ricketts, Nebraska Roger Wicker, Mississippi John Boozman, Arkansas Jon Husted, Ohio (from January 24, 2025)	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island, Ranking Member Bernie Sanders, Vermont Jeff Merkley, Oregon Ed Markey, Massachusetts Mark Kelly, Arizona Alex Padilla, California Adam Schiff, California Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland

Subcommittees

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Transportation and Infrastructure	Kevin Cramer (R-ND)	Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD)
Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety	Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)	Mark Kelly (D-AZ)
Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice and Regulatory Oversight	John Curtis (R-UT)	Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water	Pete Ricketts (R-WY)	Adam Schiff (D-CA)

Chairs

The committee has gone through several iterations starting in 1838. A list of these chairs is below.

Chairs of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings, 1819–1821

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Democratic-Republican	PA	1819	1821

Chairs of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings, 1838–1857

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Democratic	AR	1838	1841
	Whig	LA	1841
	Whig	MD	1841	1842
	Whig	NJ	1842	1843
	Democratic	IL	1843	1845
	Democratic	PA	1845	1846
	Democratic	IN	1846	1847
	Democratic	VA	1847	1851
	Democratic	IN	1851	1852
	Democratic	RI	1852	1853
	Democratic	DE	1853	1857

Chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, 1857–1883

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Democratic	IN	1857	1861
	Republican	VT	1861	1866
	Republican	MO	1866	1867
	Republican	ME	1867	1869
	Republican	VT	1869	1878
	Republican	MA	1878	1879
	Democratic	FL	1879	1881
	Republican	NH	1883	1881

Chairs of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, 1883–1947

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Readjuster Republican	VA	1883	1887
	Republican	CA	1887	1893
	Democratic	MO	1893	1895
	Republican	PA	1895	1899
	Republican	IN	1899	1905
	Republican	WY	1905
	Republican	WV	1905	1911
	Republican	UT	1911	1913
	Democratic	VA	1913	1918
	Democratic	MO	1918	1919
	Republican	ME	1919	1926
	Republican	WI	1926	1927
	Republican	NH	1927	1933
	Democratic	TX	1933	1942
	Democratic	CT	1942	1945
	Democratic	FL	1945	1946

Chairs of the Senate Committee on Public Works, 1947–1977

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Republican	WV	1947	1949
	Democratic	NM	1949	1953
	Republican	PA	1953	1955
	Democratic	NM	1955	1962
	Democratic	MI	1962	1966
	Democratic	WV	1966	1967

Chairs of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, 1977–present

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Democratic	WV	1977	1981
	Republican	VT	1981	1987
	Democratic	ND	1987	1992
	Democratic	NY	1992	1993
	Democratic	MT	1993	1995
	Republican	RI	1995	1999
	Republican	NH	1999	2001
	Democratic	NV	2001
	Republican	NH	2001
	Independent	VT	2001	2003
	Republican	OK	2003	2007
	Democratic	CA	2007	2015
	Republican	OK	2015	2017
	Republican	WY	2017	2021
	Democratic	DE	2021	2025
	Republican	WV	2025	present

Ranking Members

A list of ranking members is below.

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Whig	RI	1819	1821
	Whig	DE	1837	1839
	Whig	MD	1839	1841
	Democratic	AR	1841	1842
	Democratic	GA	1842	1843
	Whig	NJ	1843	1847
	Whig	DE	1847	1849
	Whig	RI	1849	1853
	Whig	NC	1853	1855
	Whig	MD	1855	1857
	Republican	NH	1857	1861
	Democratic	IN	1861	1862
	Democratic	MO	1862	1863
	Democratic	DE	1863
	Democratic	MO	1863	1864
	Democratic	IN	1864	1865
	Republican	MO	1865	1866
	Republican	IL	1866	1867
	Democratic	MD	1867	1869
	Democratic	NJ	1869	1875
	Democratic	TN	1875	1877
	Democratic	DE	1877	1879
	Republican	MA	1879	1881
	Democratic	FL	1881	1887
	Democratic	MO	1887	1893
	Republican	VT	1893	1895
	Democratic	MO	1895	1903
	Democratic	TX	1903	1913
	Republican	UT	1913	1917
	Republican	WY	1917	1919
	Democratic	MO	1919	1929
	Democratic	AZ	1929	1933
	Republican	NH	1933	1937
	Republican	VT	1937	1938
	Republican	ME	1938	1941
	Republican	NJ	1941	1943
	Republican	OH	1943	1947
	Democratic	LA	1944	1948
	Democratic	NM	1948	1949
	Republican	WA	1949	1953
	Democratic	NM	1953	1955
	Republican	PA	1955	1959
	Republican	SD	1959	1962
	Republican	KY	1962	1973
	Republican	TN	1973	1975
	Republican	NY	1975	1977
	Republican	VT	1977	1981
	Democratic	WV	1981	1985
	Democratic	TX	1985	1987
	Republican	VT	1987	1989
	Republican	RI	1989	1995
	Democratic	MT	1995	2001
	Democratic	NV	2001
	Republican	NH	2001	2003
	Independent	VT	2003	2007
	Republican	OK	2007	2013
	Republican	LA	2013	2015
	Democratic	CA	2015	2017
	Democratic	DE	2017	2021
	Republican	WV	2021	2025
	Democratic	RI	2025	present

Historical committee rosters

118th Congress

Majority	Minority
style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Tom Carper, Delaware, Chair Ben Cardin, Maryland Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Jeff Merkley, Oregon Ed Markey, Massachusetts Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Mark Kelly, Arizona Alex Padilla, California John Fetterman, Pennsylvania	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia, Ranking Member Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma Pete Ricketts, Nebraska John Boozman, Arkansas Roger Wicker, Mississippi Dan Sullivan, Alaska Lindsey Graham, South Carolina

Subcommittee

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice and Regulatory Oversight	Jeff Merkley (D-OR)	Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
Clean Air, Climate and Nuclear Safety	Ed Markey (D-MA)	Pete Ricketts (R-NE)
Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife	Alex Padilla (D-CA)	Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
Transportation and Infrastructure	Mark Kelly (D-AZ)	Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

117th Congress

Majority	Minority
style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Tom Carper, Delaware, Chair Ben Cardin, Maryland Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Jeff Merkley, Oregon Ed Markey, Massachusetts Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Mark Kelly, Arizona Alex Padilla, California	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia, Ranking Member Jim Inhofe, Oklahoma Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming Richard Shelby, Alabama John Boozman, Arkansas Roger Wicker, Mississippi Dan Sullivan, Alaska Joni Ernst, Iowa Lindsey Graham, South Carolina

Subcommittees

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice and Regulatory Oversight	Jeff Merkley (D-OR)	Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Clean Air, Climate and Nuclear Safety	Ed Markey (D-MA)	Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife	Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)	Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
Transportation and Infrastructure	Ben Cardin (D-MD)	Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

116th Congress

Majority	Minority
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | John Barrasso, Wyoming, Chair Jim Inhofe, Oklahoma Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia John Boozman, Arkansas Roger Wicker, Mississippi Mike Rounds, South Dakota Joni Ernst, Iowa Richard Shelby, Alabama Dan Sullivan, Alaska Kevin Cramer, North Dakota Mike Braun, Indiana	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Tom Carper, Delaware, Ranking Member Ben Cardin, Maryland Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Jeff Merkley, Oregon Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Cory Booker, New Jersey Ed Markey, Massachusetts Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Chris Van Hollen, Maryland

Subcommittees

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Clean Air and Nuclear Safety	Mike Braun (R-IN)	Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Fisheries, Water and Wildlife	Kevin Cramer (R-ND)	Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight	Mike Rounds (R-SD)	Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Transportation and Infrastructure	Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)	Ben Cardin (D-MD)

115th Congress

Majority	Minority
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | John Barrasso, Wyoming, Chair Jim Inhofe, Oklahoma Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia John Boozman, Arkansas Roger Wicker, Mississippi Deb Fischer, Nebraska Jerry Moran, Kansas Mike Rounds, South Dakota Joni Ernst, Iowa Richard Shelby, Alabama Dan Sullivan, Alaska	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Tom Carper, Delaware, Ranking Member Ben Cardin, Maryland Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Jeff Merkley, Oregon Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Cory Booker, New Jersey Ed Markey, Massachusetts Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Chris Van Hollen, Maryland

114th Congress

Majority	Minority
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Jim Inhofe, Oklahoma, Chair David Vitter, Louisiana John Barrasso, Wyoming Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Mike Crapo, Idaho John Boozman, Arkansas Jeff Sessions, Alabama Roger Wicker, Mississippi Deb Fischer, Nebraska Mike Rounds, South Dakota Dan Sullivan, Alaska	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Barbara Boxer, California, Ranking Member Tom Carper, Delaware Ben Cardin, Maryland Bernie Sanders, Vermont Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Jeff Merkley, Oregon Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Cory Booker, New Jersey Ed Markey, Massachusetts

Source: 2013 Congressional Record, Vol. 159, Page / S296

External links

• U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works official website (Archive)
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.
• Public Works Agency – Public Works Industry Social Network including Municipal Contractors, Municipalities and Citizen Engagement