Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness

The Subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness is a specialized panel within the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. It handles a focused slice of the parent committee's broad jurisdiction over commerce, science, and transportation by concentrating specifically on science, technology, engineering, and math research and policy; measurement standards; and economic development matters tied to manufacturing, trade, tourism, and U.S. exports.

The subcommittee conducts oversight of major federal science agencies and offices, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. It also monitors the Department of Commerce's manufacturing bureaus, export promotion agencies, the Minority Business Development Agency, and workforce development initiatives. This structure allows the subcommittee to dive deep into how federal science investments and manufacturing policies support American competitiveness and economic growth.

Chaired by Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina, with Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin as Ranking Member, the subcommittee has 13 members. Recent hearings have focused on artificial intelligence policy, including examinations of the White House AI Action Plan and how AI can improve safety, productivity, and healthcare. These hearings reflect the subcommittee's role in evaluating emerging technologies and their potential to strengthen American manufacturing and innovation capacity.