Maria Cantwell

Rule Changes

Poised to chair Senate Commerce Committee

Democrats won control of the U.S. House and Senate in the Nov. 3 midterms, with results reported through Nov. 5. They also won governorships in Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Iowa.

Updated 4 days ago

Rule Changes

As of September 2026: Bill co-author

The Senate voted 77-22 Monday to pass the Protect College Sports Act, the first federal bill to regulate how college athletes earn from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) and how often they transfer. It would let schools pay players up to roughly $50 million a year and give the NCAA an antitrust exemption it has sought for a decade.

Updated Sep 30

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Pressing telecom executives for answers on Salt Typhoon vulnerabilities

Salt Typhoon, a hacking group tied to China's Ministry of State Security, spent years quietly burrowing into American telecommunications networks (AT&T, Verizon, and at least seven others) to access court-authorized wiretap systems. Now it has reached the FBI itself. On April 1, 2026, the FBI classified a breach of its Digital Collection System Network as a 'major incident' — the most serious cybersecurity designation available under federal law.

Updated May 30

Money Moves

As of May 2026: Supported Isaacman while warning against budget and workforce cuts

One day after his 67–30 confirmation, Jared Isaacman was sworn in on Dec. 18, 2025 as NASA's 15th administrator—walking directly into a White House-driven acceleration campaign that now has his name on the clock, not just the contracts.

Updated May 15

Built World

As of May 2026: Pressing FAA leadership on ethics and conflicts during a huge procurement moment

The FAA is no longer talking about “modernization” like it’s a distant science project. In a House hearing, Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency will commit $6 billion by the end of 2025 to upgrade ATC telecom networks and radar surveillance, with a target deployment date of 2028.

Updated May 15