Sen. Roger Wicker to Lead Commerce Committee in 116th Congress
The Senate Republican caucus chose Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker to lead the Commerce Committee in the 116th Congress. Wicker succeeds Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who was promoted to the role of assistant Republican leader.
Cantwell
“I thank my colleagues for their support in electing me chairman of the Commerce Committee,” Wicker said Jan. 9. “The chairmanship is a great responsibility given the committee’s broad jurisdiction across diverse sectors of our economy. I look forward to serving alongside our new ranking member, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build on the committee’s successes and continue moving our economy forward.”
Cantwell will serve as the top Democrat on the panel.
The committee has jurisdiction over trucking policy, and its members are expected to play key roles in the formulation of an infrastructure policy package over the next two years. In the last Congress, committee members advanced a long-term aviation policy measure and hosted hearings on automatic braking systems for trains.
The committee has scheduled an organizational hearing Jan. 16 to consider rules and ratify subcommittee assignments.
