Summary
Mission:
The Committee on Foreign Relations is charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid programs; funding arms sales and training for national allies; and holding confirmation hearings for high-level positions in the Department of State.
House counterpart: Foreign Affairs Committee
Democratic Members (Majority):
Ben Cardin, Maryland, Chair
Bob Menendez, New Jersey
Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire
Chris Coons, Delaware
Chris Murphy, Connecticut
Tim Kaine, Virginia
Jeff Merkley, Oregon
Cory Booker, New Jersey
Brian Schatz, Hawaii
Chris Van Hollen, Maryland
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois
Republican Members (Minority):
Jim Risch, Idaho, Ranking Member
Marco Rubio, Florida
Mitt Romney, Utah
Pete Ricketts, Nebraska
Rand Paul, Kentucky
Todd Young, Indiana
John Barrasso, Wyoming
Ted Cruz, Texas
Bill Hagerty, Tennessee
Tim Scott, South Carolina
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OnAir Post: Foreign Relations Committee
News
Chairman Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.
Ranking Member Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 14 to testify about the administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
It is the first scheduled public hearing with administration officials since late last month, when the Biden administration was caught off guard by the rapid collapse of the Afghan government and military and the advance of the Taliban into Kabul.
Athens, Greece – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement regarding the situation in Afghanistan following the explosions outside of the Kabul airport:
“I condemn in the strongest and most forceful of terms today’s attacks targeting U.S. citizens, personnel, and vulnerable Afghans trying to flee Afghanistan.
“I understand that American personnel were among the casualties and my prayers are with the victims of this cowardly attack and their families. As we wait for more details to come in, one thing is clear: We can’t trust the Taliban with Americans’ security.
“This is a full-fledged humanitarian crisis, and the U.S. government personnel, already working under extreme circumstances, must secure the airport and complete the massive evacuation of Americans citizens and vulnerable Afghans desperately trying to leave the country.”
About
FAQs
The best way to check the status of a Committee action is to locate the identifying bill number and run a search for it at: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php (Useful tip: Click on the link that reads “All Congressional Action” after running the search)
History
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was established in 1816 as one of the original ten standing committees of the Senate. Throughout its history, the committee has been instrumental in developing and influencing United States foreign policy, at different times supporting and opposing the policies of presidents and secretaries of state. The committee has considered, debated, and reported important treaties and legislation, ranging from the purchase of Alaska in 1867 to the establishment of the United Nations in 1945. It also holds jurisdiction over all diplomatic nominations. Through these powers, the committee has helped shape foreign policy of broad significance, in matters of war and peace and international relations. Members of the committee have assisted in the negotiation of treaties, and at times have helped to defeat treaties they felt were not in the national interest.
The Foreign Relations Committee was instrumental in the rejection of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and 1920, and in the passage of the Truman Doctrine in 1947 and Marshall Plan in 1948. A bipartisan spirit prevailed as the committee confronted the perils of the Cold War. However, the state of almost constant crisis that the Cold War spawned eventually resulted in the vast expansion of presidential authority over foreign policy. Since the 1960s, the committee has sought to redress this imbalance of powers.
Source: Committee website
Contact
Locations
Committee on Foreign Relations
423 Dirksen Senate Office Building · Washington, DC 20510-6225
Phone: (202) 224-4651
Web Links
Legislation
Bills
Source: Committee website
During each two-year Congress, hundreds of bills and resolutions are referred to the committee. Once they are referred, the committee can take up a measure at a business meeting. You can find transcripts of these meetings under our “Business Meeting Transcripts” section below. In this section, you’ll find all of the pending legislation that has been referred to the committee.
Hearings
Source: Committee website
HEARING TRANSCRIPTS
A printed hearing is an official transcript of a hearing. Supplemental materials may be included as part of the hearing record. For example, a committee might include exhibits, charts and research materials, written statements of witnesses, witness responses to follow-up questions, other materials submitted by witnesses, or letters and testimony from individuals who did not testify in person.
Subcommittees
Source: Government page
Africa & Global Health Policy
Jurisdiction
The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with countries in Africa (except those, like the countries of North Africa, specifically covered by other subcommittees), as well as regional intergovernmental organizations like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: terrorism and non-proliferation; crime and illicit narcotics; U.S. foreign assistance programs; and the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for health-related policy, including disease outbreak and response.
Majority members:
Chris Van Hollen, Maryland, Chair
Chris Coons, Delaware
Jeff Merkley, Oregon
Brian Schatz, Hawaii
Chris Van Hollen, Maryland
Minority members:
Tim Scott, South Carolina, Ranking Member
Todd Young, Indiana
Rand Paul, Kentucky
John Barrasso, Wyom
East Asia, The Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy
Jurisdiction
The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries of East Asia and the Pacific as well as regional intergovernmental organizations like the Association of South East Asian Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for international cybersecurity and space policy.
Majority members:
Chris Van Hollen, Maryland, Chair
Jeff Merkley, Oregon
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois
Chris Coons, Delaware
Brian Schatz, Hawaii
Minority members
Mitt Romney, Utah, Ranking Member
Tim Scott, South Carolina
Pete Ricketts, Nebraska
Europe & Regional Security Cooperation
Jurisdiction
The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries in Europe and the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and regional intergovernmental organizations like the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (except the states of Central Asia that are within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs). This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for regional security cooperation.
Majority members:
Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire, Chair
Chris Murphy, Connecticut
Chris Van Hollen, Maryland
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois
Ben Cardin, Maryland
Minority members:
Pete Ricketts, Nebraska, Ranking Member
John Barrasso, Wyoming
Rand Paul, Kentucky
Marco Rubio, Florida
Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy and Environmental Policy
Jurisdiction
The subcommittee’s responsibilities include general oversight responsibility for U.S. multilateral international development policy, multilateral foreign assistance, and all U.S. mandatory and voluntary contributions to international organizations and relationship with such entities, including the U.N. and its affiliated agencies. The subcommittee’s responsibilities also include matters related to international monetary policy, including U.S. participation in international financial institutions and trade organizations, U.S. foreign economic policy, including export enhancement and trade promotion, international investment, international trade, protection of intellectual property, and technology transfer, as well as international energy policy and environmental policy, including matters related to the oceans and the Arctic.
Majority members:
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois, Chair
Chris Coons, Delaware
Brian Schatz, Hawaii
Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire
Tim Kaine, Virginia
Minority members:
John Barrasso, Wyoming, Ranking Member
Mitt Romney, Utah
Rand Paul, Kentucky
Bill Hagerty, Tennessee
Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism
Jurisdiction
This subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Central Asia, as well as regional intergovernmental organizations. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for counterterrorism matters.
Majority members:
Chris Murphy, Connecticut, Chair
Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire
Ed Markey, Massachusetts
Cory Booker, New Jersey
Chris Van Hollen, Maryland
Minority members:
Todd Young, Indiana, Ranking Member
Rand Paul, Kentucky
Ted Cruz, Texas
Mitt Romney, Utah
Bill Hagerty, Tennessee
Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, & Counterrorism
Majority Members:
Chris Murphy, Connecticut, Chair
Ben Cardin, Maryland
Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire
Tim Kaine, Virginia
Cory Booker, New Jersey
Minority Members:
Todd Young, Indiana, Ranking Member
Mitt Romney, Utah
Ted Cruz, Texas
Marco Rubio, Florida
Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights and Global Women’s Issues
Jurisdiction
This subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries of the Western Hemisphere, including Canada, Mexico, Central, and South America, Cuba, and the other countries in the Caribbean, as well as the Organization of American States. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
Also, this subcommittee has global responsibility for transnational crime, trafficking in persons (also known as modern slavery or human trafficking), global narcotics flows, civilian security, democracy, human rights, and global women’s issues.
Majority members:
Tim Kaine, Virginia, Chair
Ben Cardin, Maryland
Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire
Chris Murphy, Connecticut
Minority members:
Marco Rubio, Florida, Ranking Member
Ted Cruz, Texas
Todd Young, Indiana
Tim Scott, South Carolina
More Information
Reports
Source: Committee website
BUSINESS MEETINGS TRANSCRIPTS
Transcripts of committee business meetings are typically made public 30 business days after the event. Each transcript includes vote results, amendments offered to the bill, and a general description of the bill under consideration. To find the legislative text of a bill, refer to the Legislation page or visit congress.gov, the official legislative information website of the Library of Congress.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee reports accompany a bill that has been reported to the full Senate for its consideration. Reports may include the legislative text of the bill, changes made by the committee during open executive sessions, and the views of committee members.
Executive Reports accompany treaties submitted to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification. These reports include a description of the Purpose and Background of the treaty under consideration, a Summary of Key Provisions of the treaty, any necessary Implementing Legislation, any Committee Action taken relating to the treaty and Committee Comments (including any minority views), and the Text of Resolution of Advice and Consent to Ratification.
COMMITTEE PRINTS
Committee prints take many forms and may include: draft reports and bills, legislative analyses, investigative reports, statistical materials and historical reports. Notable types of committee prints include: the Committee Calendar, which indexes all hearings, nominations and legislation considered in a congressional session; technical descriptions of the effects of pending legislation; and the committee rules of procedure adopted each Congress.
CONFERENCE REPORTS
A conference report is an agreement on a bill negotiated by a conference committee, a temporary committee comprised of House and Senate members. Conference reports are printed and submitted to each chamber for consideration. A conference report includes changes to the bill made during the conference committee’s consideration and may also include the views of conference committee members.
OTHER
Anything that is not categorized above is stored here. In this section, you may find letters of correspondence between the Chairman or Ranking Member and the executive branch or other world leaders or groups, draft amendments, or other noteworthy declarations.
Nominations
Source: Committee website
The committee has jurisdiction over all diplomatic nominations. Before a nominee is reported out of by the committee and confirmed by the Senate, the committee typically holds a nomination hearing for each nominee. You can find transcripts of these hearings under our “Hearing Transcripts” section below. In this section, you’ll find all of the pending nominations that have been referred to the committee.
Campaign Finance
Source: Open Secrets webpages
