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."
!Minority
|-
| valign=top |
- 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)
| valign=top |
- Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island, Ranking Member
- <span >Bernie Sanders, Vermont</span>
- Jeff Merkley, Oregon
- Ed Markey, Massachusetts
- Mark Kelly, Arizona
- Alex Padilla, California
- Adam Schiff, California
- Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware
- Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland
|}
Subcommittees
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!style="width:50%;" |Subcommittee
!Chair
!Ranking Member
Chairs of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings, 1819–1821
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Name
!Party
!State
!Start
!End
|-
|
|Democratic-Republican
|PA
|1819
|1821
|}
Chairs of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings, 1838–1857
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Name
!Party
!State
!Start
!End
|-
|
|Democratic
|AR
|1838
|1841
|-
|
|Whig
|LA
|colspan=2 align=center |1841
|-
|
|Whig
|MD
|1841
|1842
|-
|
|Whig
|NJ
|1842
|1843
|-
|
|Democratic
|IL
|1843
|1845
|-
|
|Democratic
|PA
|1845
|1846
|-
|
|Democratic
|IN
|1846
|1847
|-
|
|Democratic
|VA
|1847
|1851
|-
|
|Democratic
|IN
|1851
|1852
|-
|
|Democratic
|RI
|1852
|1853
|-
|
|Democratic
|DE
|1853
|1857
|}
Chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, 1857–1883
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Name
!Party
!State
!Start
!End
|-
|
|Democratic
|IN
|1857
|1861
|-
|
|Republican
|VT
|1861
|1866
|-
|
|Republican
|MO
|1866
|1867
|-
|
|Republican
|ME
|1867
|1869
|-
|
|Republican
|VT
|1869
|1878
|-
|
|Republican
|MA
|1878
|1879
|-
|
|Democratic
|FL
|1879
|1881
|-
|
|Republican
|NH
|1883
|1881
|}
Chairs of the Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, 1883–1947
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Name
!Party
!State
!Start
!End
|-
|
|Readjuster Republican
|VA
|1883
|1887
|-
|
|Republican
|CA
|1887
|1893
|-
|
|Democratic
|MO
|1893
|1895
|-
|
|Republican
|PA
|1895
|1899
|-
|
|Republican
|IN
|1899
|1905
|-
|
|Republican
|WY
|colspan=2 align=center |1905
|-
|
|Republican
|WV
|1905
|1911
|-
|
|Republican
|UT
|1911
|1913
|-
|
|Democratic
|VA
|1913
|1918
|-
|
|Democratic
|MO
|1918
|1919
|-
|
|Republican
|ME
|1919
|1926
|-
|
|Republican
|WI
|1926
|1927
|-
|
|Republican
|NH
|1927
|1933
|-
|
|Democratic
|TX
|1933
|1942
|-
|
|Democratic
|CT
|1942
|1945
|-
|
|Democratic
|FL
|1945
|1946
|}
Chairs of the Senate Committee on Public Works, 1947–1977
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Name
!Party
!State
!Start
!End
|-
|
|Republican
|WV
|1947
|1949
|-
|
|Democratic
|NM
|1949
|1953
|-
|
|Republican
|PA
|1953
|1955
|-
|
|Democratic
|NM
|1955
|1962
|-
|
|Democratic
|MI
|1962
|1966
|-
|
|Democratic
|WV
|1966
|1967
|}
Chairs of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, 1977–present
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Name
!Party
!State
!Start
!End
|-
|
|Democratic
|WV
|1977
|1981
|-
|
|Republican
|VT
|1981
|1987
|-
|
|Democratic
|ND
|1987
|1992
|-
|
|Democratic
|NY
|1992
|1993
|-
|
|Democratic
|MT
|1993
|1995
|-
|
|Republican
|RI
|1995
|1999
|-
|
|Republican
|NH
|1999
|2001
|-
|
|Democratic
|NV
|colspan=2 align=center |2001
|-
|
|Republican
|NH
|colspan=2 align=center |2001
|-
|
|Independent
|VT
|2001
|2003
|-
|
|Republican
|OK
|2003
|2007
|-
|
|Democratic
|CA
|2007
|2015
|-
|
|Republican
|OK
|2015
|2017
|-
|
|Republican
|WY
|2017
|2021
|-
|
|Democratic
|DE
|2021
|2025
|-
|
|Republican
|WV
|2025
|present
|}
Ranking Members
A list of ranking members is below.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Name
!Party
!State
!Start
!End
|-
|
|Whig
|RI
|1819
|1821
|-
|
|Whig
|DE
|1837
|1839
|-
|
|Whig
|MD
|1839
|1841
|-
|
|Democratic
|AR
|1841
|1842
|-
|
|Democratic
|GA
|1842
|1843
|-
|
|Whig
|NJ
|1843
|1847
|-
|
|Whig
|DE
|1847
|1849
|-
|
|Whig
|RI
|1849
|1853
|-
|
|Whig
|NC
|1853
|1855
|-
|
|Whig
|MD
|1855
|1857
|-
|
|Republican
|NH
|1857
|1861
|-
|
|Democratic
|IN
|1861
|1862
|-
|
|Democratic
|MO
|1862
|1863
|-
|
|Democratic
|DE
|colspan=2 align=center |1863
|-
|
|Democratic
|MO
|1863
|1864
|-
|
|Democratic
|IN
|1864
|1865
|-
|
|Republican
|MO
|1865
|1866
|-
|
|Republican
|IL
|1866
|1867
|-
|
|Democratic
|MD
|1867
|1869
|-
|
|Democratic
|NJ
|1869
|1875
|-
|
|Democratic
|TN
|1875
|1877
|-
|
|Democratic
|DE
|1877
|1879
|-
|
|Republican
|MA
|1879
|1881
|-
|
|Democratic
|FL
|1881
|1887
|-
|
|Democratic
|MO
|1887
|1893
|-
|
|Republican
|VT
|1893
|1895
|-
|
|Democratic
|MO
|1895
|1903
|-
|
|Democratic
|TX
|1903
|1913
|-
|
|Republican
|UT
|1913
|1917
|-
|
|Republican
|WY
|1917
|1919
|-
|
|Democratic
|MO
|1919
|1929
|-
|
|Democratic
|AZ
|1929
|1933
|-
|
|Republican
|NH
|1933
|1937
|-
|
|Republican
|VT
|1937
|1938
|-
|
|Republican
|ME
|1938
|1941
|-
|
|Republican
|NJ
|1941
|1943
|-
|
|Republican
|OH
|1943
|1947
|-
|
|Democratic
|LA
|1947
|1948
|-
|
|Democratic
|NM
|1948
|1949
|-
|
|Republican
|WA
|1949
|1953
|-
|
|Democratic
|NM
|1953
|1955
|-
|
|Republican
|PA
|1955
|1959
|-
|
|Republican
|SD
|1959
|1962
|-
|
|Republican
|KY
|1962
|1973
|-
|
|Republican
|TN
|1973
|1975
|-
|
|Republican
|NY
|1975
|1977
|-
|
|Republican
|VT
|1977
|1981
|-
|
|Democratic
|WV
|1981
|1985
|-
|
|Democratic
|TX
|1985
|1987
|-
|
|Republican
|VT
|1987
|1989
|-
|
|Republican
|RI
|1989
|1995
|-
|
|Democratic
|MT
|1995
|2001
|-
|
|Democratic
|NV
|colspan=2 align=center |2001
|-
|
|Republican
|NH
|2001
|2003
|-
|
|Independent
|VT
|2003
|2007
|-
|
|Republican
|OK
|2007
|2013
|-
|
|Republican
|LA
|2013
|2015
|-
|
|Democratic
|CA
|2015
|2017
|-
|
|Democratic
|DE
|2017
|2021
|-
|
|Republican
|WV
|2021
|2025
|-
|
|Democratic
|RI
|2025
|present
|}
Historical committee rosters
118th Congress
{|class=wikitable
!Majority
!Minority
|-
| valign=top |
- Tom Carper, Delaware, Chair
- Ben Cardin, Maryland
- <span >Bernie Sanders, Vermont