Midterms 2026: Authorizing Committee Leaders Up for Reelection

Congressional committee leadership is likely to change after the upcoming midterm elections in November.

Authorizing committees provide oversight of federal agencies and create and amend legislation before it hits the full chamber. In the Senate, these committees also review presidential nominations. Although authorizing committees frequently advance legislation that “authorizes” funding for a specific agency or program, these numbers are treated as recommendations for agencies to follow. Binding spending instructions and budget dollars come from the appropriations committees. (Click here to read about how the midterms will affect science appropriators.)

All the committee leaders in the House and many in the Senate are up for reelection this year or have already been ousted in a primary.

If Democrats take control of the House or Senate, they will also take over the chair positions of that chamber’s committees. Those positions are typically, but not always, filled by the committee’s previous ranking member. Similarly, chairs who get bumped out by a loss of the majority often stay on the committee as their party’s ranking member.

If Republicans retain control of either chamber, many of the chairs in that chamber will likely remain in their positions. The Republican party has set term limits of six years (three terms) for committee chair assignments in the House.

Committee assignments, including the chair and ranking member roles, are determined by complex systems internal to the parties. As a result, any leaders who lose reelection will likely see their committee leadership positions filled by current members of Congress, rather than their successors.

House Authorizing Committees

Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Commonly called the House Science Committee, this committee oversees NASA, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. It also oversees non-defense research and development within the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security.

The committee has five subcommittees — Research and Technology, Energy, Environment, Space and Aeronautics, and Investigations and Oversight, all of which routinely handle issues affecting science agencies and major research-related legislation.

Chair Brian Babin (R-TX) is facing Rhonda Hart (D) in Texas’ 36th District. This is his first term serving as the chair of the committee.

Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) is facing Shane Lewis (R) in California’s District 18.

Energy and Commerce Committee
This committee supervises legislation and policy relating to energy, public health, and air quality and environmental health through oversight of agencies including the Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Health and Human Services, the Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and Federal Communications Commission.

This committee has six subcommittees that all touch on scientific and research policy. However, this committee is also responsible for major infrastructure and commerce issues, which sometimes crowd out the committee’s focus on pure research matters. For example, the Energy Subcommittee covers research elements at the Department of Energy, but also basic energy infrastructure such as power lines and the strategic petroleum reserve.

Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) is up for reelection against Megan Wingfield (D) in Kentucky’s 2nd District. This is his first term as chair.

Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) is running against Hillary Herzig (R) in New Jersey’s 6th District.

Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party
Commonly called the House CCP Committee, this committee was created in 2023 to “build consensus on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party,” including on issues of technological capability, intellectual property protection, and research security. This committee’s work frequently carries implications for universities, agencies, and researchers beyond their relationships with China.

Chair John Moolenaar (R-MI) is running unopposed in the Republican primary for Michigan’s 2nd District, which ends Aug. 4. He will likely face Ben Ambrose (D) in the fall, who is currently leading a three-person race in the district’s Democratic primary. This is his first term as chair.

Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), the committee’s ranking member, will leave office at the end of his term in January. He opted to run for the Senate instead of reelection to his House seat but was defeated in Illinois’ Democratic Senate primary by Juliana Stratton on March 17.

Education and Workforce Committee
The committee makes decisions on higher education and has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Education.

The committee has four subcommittees. The Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee and the Workforce Protections Subcommittee handle issues relating to labor law, unions, and federal worker compensation, issues that have grown in significance for science agencies in recent years. The Higher Education and Workforce Development subcommittee plays an important role in research policy due to its oversight of universities. Lastly, the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee rarely dives into matters directly related to research policy, but it does occasionally take up issues relating to the funding and structure of STEM education for pre-college students.

This is Tim Walberg’s (R-MI) first term serving as chair of any committee. He is running unopposed in Michigan’s 5th District primary, ending Aug. 4.

Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) is up for reelection against Edwin Rivera (R) in Virginia’s 3rd district.

Armed Services Committee
This committee oversees the Department of Defense and National Nuclear Security Administration, leading policy on nuclear security, warfare and weaponry, and defense research and development. One of its main responsibilities is drafting the annual National Defense Authorization Act.

Particularly science-relevant subcommittees include the Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems Subcommittee; Strategic Forces Subcommittee; and Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee.

Chair Mike Rogers (R-AL) is currently running unopposed in the general election for Alabama’s 3rd District. This is his first term as chair.

Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) is up for reelection in the nonpartisan primary for Washington’s 9th District, ending Aug. 4.

Natural Resources Committee
This committee oversees public lands in the US and has jurisdiction over research at the US Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Notable subcommittees include the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee and Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee.

Chair Bruce Westerman is running for reelection against James Russell (D) in Alabama 4th district. It’s his second term as Chair of this committee.

Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA) is up for reelection against Robin Littau (R) in California’s 2nd district.

Senate Authorizing Committees

Senate authorizing committees play similar roles to their House counterparts, with the key difference being that they also review and vote on presidential nominations for agencies under their jurisdiction.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Commonly referred to as the Senate Commerce Committee, this committee oversees NASA, the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Of the panel’s six subcommittees, Aviation, Space, and Innovation; Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness; Telecommunications and Media; and Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries are the ones principally focused on science policy issues.

Chair Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) are not up for reelection this year.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over the US Geological Survey and the Department of Energy, except for DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration, which is overseen by the Armed Services Committee.

Of the committee’s four subcommittees, the Energy Subcommittee is the most significant for science policy, covering topics such as DOE’s national labs, climate change, and nuclear energy.

Chair Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) are not up for reelection this year.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
The Senate HELP Committee covers a wide range of topics and plays a significant role in overseeing biomedical research and matters relating to higher education. The committee’s role in labor and union issues, including those affecting federal workers, has taken on heightened significance for science in the wake of layoffs and reductions in force at federal science agencies that began in 2025. The committee oversees the Department of Health and Human Services, including the National Institutes of Health. Major education policy bills often originate in the HELP Committee.

Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) lost his primary on May 16. Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is not up for reelection this year.

Environment and Public Works Committee
This committee is responsible for environmental policy and major infrastructure projects. The committee plays a significant role in nuclear energy policy, including through oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste management, and non-military regulation of nuclear materials. Additionally, the committee often takes up matters relating to ocean and atmospheric research and climate science.

Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) is up for reelection against Rachel Fetty Anderson (D-WV) in West Virginia. Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is not up for reelection.

Armed Services Committee
Like its sibling committee in the House, the Senate Armed Services Committee oversees the Department of Defense and National Nuclear Security Administration, and it updates US defense policy, primarily by drafting the annual National Defense Authorization Act.

The Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee’s jurisdiction includes Department of Defense R&D and technology acquisition activities, except for those related to nuclear weapons. The Strategic Forces Subcommittee is responsible for nuclear weapons and associated delivery systems and has jurisdiction over the National Nuclear Security Administration and the national labs it oversees.

Chair Roger Wicker (R-MS) is not up for reelection this year. Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) is facing Connor Burbridge and Luis Daniel Muñoz in the Democratic Senate primary for Rhode Island, which ends Sept. 9.