Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries

The Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries is a specialized panel within the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. As a subcommittee, it conducts initial hearings and reviews legislation within a narrower policy slice before matters proceed to the full committee, which has final authority to report bills to the Senate floor. This structure allows the full committee to focus on its broad jurisdiction while the subcommittee develops expertise in maritime affairs.

The subcommittee has jurisdiction over matters affecting oceans, coasts, and inland waterways, including coastal zone management, marine fisheries, marine mammals, and ocean and atmospheric activities. It oversees critical federal agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Maritime Administration (MARAD), the Marine Mammal Commission, the Federal Maritime Commission, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the Panama Canal, and the United States Arctic Research Commission. This broad oversight authority reflects the interconnected nature of maritime policy, which touches national security, environmental protection, and economic interests.

The subcommittee is chaired by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), with Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) serving as ranking member. Recent hearings have focused on major policy priorities including Coast Guard modernization and Arctic security. In January 2026, the subcommittee examined how a historic $25 billion investment in the Coast Guard is supporting operational demands and global deployments. In October 2025, it held a hearing on reviving U.S. commercial shipbuilding and strengthening the maritime industrial base. The subcommittee also convened a field hearing in Alaska in February 2026 on Arctic maritime security infrastructure, reflecting the strategic importance of polar regions to U.S. interests.