| Standing committee | |
|---|---|
Active United States Senate 118th Congress | |
 | |
| History | |
| Formed | 1816 |
| Leadership | |
| Chair | Ben Cardin (D) Since September 27, 2023 |
| Ranking member | Jim Risch (R) Since February 3, 2021 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 21 members |
| Political parties | Majority (11)
|
| Jurisdiction | |
| Policy areas | Foreign policy, aid, diplomacy |
| Oversight authority | Department of State Agency for International Development |
| House counterpart | House Committee on Foreign Affairs |
| Meeting place | |
| 423 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. | |
| Website | |
| foreign.senate.gov | |
| Rules | |
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for authorizing and overseeing foreign aid programs; arms sales and training for national allies; and holding confirmation hearings for high-level positions in the Department of State.[1] Its sister committee in the House of Representatives is the Committee on Foreign Affairs.[note 1]
Along with the Finance and Judiciary committees, the Foreign Relations Committee is among the oldest in the Senate, dating to the initial creation of committees in 1816.[2] It has played a leading role in several important treaties and foreign policy initiatives throughout U.S. history, including the Alaska purchase, the establishment of the United Nations, and the passage of the Marshall Plan.[2] The committee has also produced eight U.S. presidents—Andrew Jackson, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Benjamin Harrison, Warren Harding, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden (Buchanan and Biden serving as chairman)—and 19 secretaries of state. Notable members have included Arthur Vandenberg, Henry Cabot Lodge, and William Fulbright.
The Foreign Relations Committee is considered one of the most powerful and prestigious in the Senate, due to its long history, broad influence on U.S. foreign policy, jurisdiction over all diplomatic nominations, and its being the only Senate committee to deliberate and report treaties.[3]
From 2021 to 2023, the Foreign Relations Committee was chaired by Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, until he stepped down as chair after facing federal corruption charges.[4]
- ^ "Committee History & Rules | United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations". www.foreign.senate.gov. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ a b "Committee History & Rules | United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations". www.foreign.senate.gov. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ "12.6 Committees", American Government and Politics in the Information Age, University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing edition, 2016. This edition adapted from a work originally produced in 2011 by a publisher who has requested that it not receive attribution., November 16, 2016, archived from the original on October 1, 2023, retrieved January 22, 2021
- ^ Bob Menendez steps down as US Senate foreign relations chairman after indictment, September 22, 2023, archived from the original on September 25, 2023, retrieved September 22, 2023
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