Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

Environmental policy and research, air, water and noise pollution, solid waste disposal and recycling, toxic substances other than pesticides, water resources, flood control and rivers and harbors, fisheries and wildlife, public works and highways, and public buildings and grounds.

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works has 19 members, made up of 10 Republicans, 8 Democrats and 1 other. Shelley Moore Capito chairs it. Sheldon Whitehouse is the ranking member, which is the senior post held by the minority party. Senate committee seats are held for the length of a senator term, so membership turns over more slowly than in the House. The membership below is generated from the roster this site maintains against clerk.house.gov and senate.gov.

Jurisdiction source: Senate Rule XXV

How business reaches this committee

Senate Rule XXV lists the subjects above and assigns them here. A bill introduced in the Senate is referred to the committee whose Rule XXV jurisdiction covers its main subject, so measures on these topics start with this committee. From there it can hold hearings, amend the text, report the bill to the full Senate, or leave it alone, which is what happens to most bills.

Subcommittees

The committee divides its work among 4 subcommittees:

  • Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety
  • Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife
  • Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Who serves on it

19 senators sit on the committee: 10 Republicans, 8 Democrats, and 1 independent. That gives the majority 10 of the 19 seats. Shelley Moore Capito is the chairman. Sheldon Whitehouse is the ranking member. They come from 18 states.

Following its work

Hearing notices, markup schedules, witness lists and published reports live on the committee’s own site, linked at the top of this page. The full member list below links to each member’s page here, with contact details and the seat they hold. For background on how seats and chairs are handed out, read How congressional committees work. For what happens to a bill after a committee reports it, read How a bill becomes law. To look up who represents a particular place, start at U.S. senators by state.

Members

19 members. Generated from the roster this site holds, checked against the Clerk of the House and the Senate committee lists on September 26, 2026.

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