# United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

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:
* Air pollution;
* Construction and maintenance of highways;
* Environmental aspects of Outer Continental Shelf lands;
* Environmental effects of toxic substances, other than pesticides;
* Environmental policy;
* Environmental research and development;
* Fisheries and wildlife;
* Flood control and improvements of rivers and harbors, including environmental aspects of deepwater ports;
* Noise pollution;
* Nonmilitary environmental regulation and control of nuclear energy;
* Ocean dumping;
* Public buildings and improved grounds of the United States generally, including Federal buildings in the District of Columbia;
* Public works, bridges, and dams;
* Regional economic development;
* Solid waste disposal and recycling;
* Water pollution; and,
* 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 |
| 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) | 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) |

## Chairmen
### Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings, 1838–1857

* William S. Fulton (D-AR) 1838–1841
* John Leeds Kerr (W-MD) 1841–1842
* William L. Dayton (W-NJ) 1842–1845
* Simon Cameron (D-PA) 1845–1846
* Jesse D. Bright (D-IN) 1846–1847
* Robert M. T. Hunter (D-VA) 1847–1851
* James Whitcomb (D-IN) 1851–1852
* Charles James (D-RI) 1852–1853
* James Bayard (D-DE) 1853–1857

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

* Jesse D. Bright (D-IN) 1857–1861
* Solomon Foot (R-VT) 1861–1866
* B. Gratz Brown (R-MO) 1866–1867
* William P. Fessenden (R-ME) 1867–1869
* Justin S. Morrill (R-VT) 1869–1878
* Henry Dawes (R-MA) 1878–1879
* Charles W. Jones (D-FL) 1879–1881
* Edward H. Rollins (R-NH) 1881–1883

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

* William Mahone (R-VA) 1883–1887
* Leland Stanford (R-CA) 1887–1893
* George Vest (D-MO) 1893–1895
* Matthew S. Quay (R-PA) 1895–1899
* Charles W. Fairbanks (R-IN) 1899–1905
* Francis E. Warren (R-WY) 1905
* Nathan B. Scott (R-WV) 1905–1911
* George Sutherland (R-UT) 1911–1913
* Claude A. Swanson (D-VA) 1913–1918
* James A. Reed (D-MO) 1918–1919
* Bert M. Fernald (R-ME) 1919–1926
* Irvine L. Lenroot (R-WI) 1926–1927
* Henry W. Keyes (R-NH) 1927–1933
* Tom Connally (D-TX) 1933–1942
* Francis Maloney (D-CT) 1942–1945
* Charles O. Andrews (D-FL) 1945–1947

### Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Public Works, 1947–1977

* Chapman Revercomb (R-WV) 1947–1949
* Dennis Chavez (D-NM) 1949–1953
* Edward Martin (R-PA) 1953–1955
* Dennis Chavez (D-NM) 1955–1962
* Patrick V. McNamara (D-MI) 1962–1966
* Jennings Randolph (D-WV) 1966–1977

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

* Jennings Randolph (D-WV) 1977–1981
* Robert T. Stafford (R-VT) 1981–1987
* Quentin N. Burdick (D-ND) 1987–1992
* Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) 1992–1993
* Max Baucus (D-MT) 1993–1995
* John H. Chafee (R-RI) 1995–1999
* Bob Smith (R-NH) 1999–2001
* Harry Reid (D-NV) 2001
* Bob Smith (R-NH) 2001
* Jim Jeffords (I-VT) 2001–2003
* James Inhofe (R-OK) 2003–2007
* Barbara Boxer (D-CA) 2007–2015
* James Inhofe (R-OK) 2015-2017
* John Barrasso (R-WY) 2017–2021
* Tom Carper (D-DE) 2021–2025
* Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) 2025–present

## Historical committee rosters
### 118th Congress

| Majority | Minority |
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 | 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 |
| John Barrasso, Wyoming, Chairman 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 | 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 |
| John Barrasso, Wyoming, Chairman 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 | 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 |
| 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 | 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