Committee on the District of Columbia (1816) Committee on Post Office and Civil Service (1816) Committee on Retrenchment (1842) Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments (1921) Committee on Government Operations (1952) Committee on Governmental Affairs (1978)[2]
The United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is the chief oversight committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over matters related to the Department of Homeland Security and other homeland security concerns, as well as the functioning of the government itself, including the National Archives, budget and accounting measures other than appropriations, the Census, the federal civil service, the affairs of the District of Columbia and the United States Postal Service. It was called the United States Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs before homeland security was added to its responsibilities in 2004.[3] It serves as the Senate's chief investigative and oversight committee. Its chair is the only Senate committee chair who can issue subpoenas without a committee vote.