Senate Commerce Committee Selects Sen. Cruz to be Chairman of Subcommittee on Aviation and Space

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has been selected to serve as the chairman of the newly created Subcommittee on Aviation and Space for the 116th Congress. Today, the Senate Commerce Committee held an executive session and approved Sen. Cruz’s chairmanship and the jurisdiction of the new subcommittee. The Subcommittee on Aviation and Space will have jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Space Council, as well as the Department of Commerce and the Department of Transportation as it pertains to civil aviation and civil space policy. As chairman, Sen. Cruz will continue to lead on issues involving America’s leadership in space and evolving technologies that impact Texas’ space community while representing Texan’s interests in aviation issues. Sen. Cruz previously served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness during the 114th and 115th Congress.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to represent Texas’ space and aviation communities as chairman of this new subcommittee,” Sen. Cruz said. “Over the past four years, I worked hard to secure bipartisan victories for NASA and the U.S. commercial space industry. I look forward to continuing this progress in the 116th Congress by expanding the focus of the subcommittee to include everything that operates above the ground. I am committed to ensuring that the United States is a global leader with vibrant and growing aviation and space industries that are able to compete on the world stage and in the new frontiers of space.”

In addition to serving on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sen. Cruz will continue to serve on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Rules and Administration, and the Joint Economic Committee. Additionally, he has been named to the Committee on Foreign Relations.