Summary
Mission: Â
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) is the Senate’s primary oversight committee with broad jurisdiction over government operations generally and the Department of Homeland Security in particular.
House counterparts:Â Committee on Homeland Security and Committee on Oversight and Reform
Democratic Members (Majority):
Gary Peters, Michigan, Chair
Tom Carper, Delaware
Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire
Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona
Jacky Rosen, Nevada
Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut
Jon Ossoff, Georgia
Laphonza Butler, California
Republican Members (Minority):
Rand Paul, Kentucky, Ranking member
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin
James Lankford, Oklahoma
Mitt Romney, Utah
Rick Scott, Florida
Josh Hawley, Missouri
Roger Marshall, KS
Senate Homeland Security Examining Irregularities 2020 Election
News
Majority Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.
Minority Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.
The Hill, – September 14, 2021
About
Jurisdiction
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) is the Senate’s primary oversight committee with broad jurisdiction over government operations generally and the Department of Homeland Security in particular. Its primary responsibilities are to study the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all agencies and departments of the federal government; evaluate the effects of laws enacted to reorganize the legislative and executive branches of government; and study the intergovernmental relationships between the U.S. and states and municipalities, and between the U.S. and international organizations of which the U.S. is a member.
The year after passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Committee’s name changed from the Governmental Affairs Committee to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as its jurisdiction expanded to include homeland security issues. In addition to governmental affairs, the Committee now oversees and receives legislation, messages, petitions, and memorials on all matters relating to the Department of Homeland Security, except for appropriations, the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration, immigration, customs revenue, commercial operations, and trade.
Among the Committee’s governmental affairs responsibilities are the Archives of the United States, budgeting and accounting measures generally, government contracting, the Census and collection of statistics, Congressional organization, the federal Civil Service, government information, intergovernmental relations, the municipal affairs of the District of Columbia, the organization and management of U.S. nuclear export policy, the organization and reorganization of the executive branch, the Postal Service, and the status of officers and employees of the U.S., including their classification, compensation, and benefits. The Committee also receives and examines reports of the Comptroller General of the United States and submits recommendations to the Senate as it sees fit related to the subject matter of the reports.
Source: Committee website
History
Origin
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs as we know today did not begin as a committee charged with overseeing how the federal government operates. In 1816 it was originally formed as the Committee on the District of Colombia and the Committee on Post Office and Postal Roads/Post Office and Civil Service. In 1854, the Committee on Post Office and Postal Roads introduced “A Bill to Provide for the Transportation of the Mails upon Railroads,” one of the first pieces of legislation advocating for the Transcontinental Railroad. Eight years later, the Committee on the District of Columbia created the basis for the D.C. Emancipation Bill, signed by President Lincoln on April 16, 1862 and on display in the Capitol Visitor Center. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed eight months later.
In 1978, the Committee on Government Operations was reorganized as the Committee on Governmental Affairs. Out of this committee came such monumental legislation as the Watergate Reorganization and Reform Act and the Ethics in Government Act, as well as the Joint Committee on Intelligence Oversight Act, which created the Senate Committee on Intelligence.
The Committee Today
After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, DC the Committee broadened its title to Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Over the years, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and its predecessors have dealt with a number of important issues, including government accountability, Congressional ethics, regulatory affairs, and systems and information security. In 2003, after the Homeland Security Act of 2002 established the Department of Homeland Security, the Committee adopted primary oversight of the creation and subsequent policies, operations, and actions of the Department. In this capacity, the Committee has introduced and passed a number of bills to improve the Department of Homeland Security and ensure America’s safety, including the Homeland Security Act, implementation of the 9/11 Commission recommendations, the Katrina Investigations, and the National Intelligence Reform Act, which revamped the intelligence community and created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in 2004.
Source: Committee website
Contact
Locations
U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
340 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC, 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2627
Web Links
Legislation
Bills
Source: Committee website
Hearings
Source: Committee website
Subcommittees
Source: Government page
Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight
Source: Government page
The Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight is responsible for examining emerging national security threats and federal preparedness to respond to those threats, including terrorism, disruptive technologies, climate change, and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive attacks. The Subcommittee is also responsible for improving threat prevention coordination between the federal government and state, local, Tribal and territorial governments. The Subcommittee also plays an important role in preventing waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
Majority members:
Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire, Chair
Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona
Jacky Rosen, Nevada
Jon Ossoff, Georgia
Minority members:
Mitt Romney, Utah, Ranking Member
James Lankford, Oklahoma
Rick Scott, Florida
Government Operations and Border Management
Source: Government page
Jurisdiction
- Examining the federal rulemaking process including regulatory review, and evaluating the effectiveness, efficiency, economic impact, legal authority, and federal role for past and proposed regulations;
- Reviewing federal contracting and procurement, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and the acquisition functions of the General Services Administration and the Office of the Federal Procurement Policy;
- Assessing the management, efficiency, effectiveness, and economy of agencies and departments of the government, including oversight of issues related to energy and national security;
- Examining and assessing the federal workforce and federal employee issues, including employees’ classification, compensation and benefits, and federal benefits and retirement programs;
- Evaluating and addressing the federal government’s roles and responsibilities in America’s economic competitiveness and cooperation with private industry;
- Reviewing and assessing border management and operations;
- Conducting oversight of:
- United States Postal Service modernization and solvency;
- United States Census Bureau; and
- The District of Columbia, excluding appropriations, but including the judicial system.
Majority members:
Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona, Chair
Tom Carper, Delaware
Alex Padilla, California
Jon Ossoff, Georgia
Minority members:
James Lankford, Oklahoma, Ranking Member
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin
Mitt Romney, Utah
Josh Hawley, Missouri
Investigations (Permanent)
Democratic Members (Majority):
Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona, Chair
Tom Carper, Delaware
Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut
Laphonza Butler, California
Republican Members (Minority):
James Lankford, Oklahoma, Ranking member
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin
Mitt Romney, Utah
More Information
Nominations
Source: Committee website
Campaign Finance
Source: Open Secrets webpages
