| Senate Armed Services Committee | |
| Type: | standing |
| Chamber: | senate |
| Congress: | 118th |
| Status: | active |
| Formed: | January 2, 1947 |
| Chair: | Jack Reed |
| Chair Party: | D |
| Chair Since: | February 3, 2021 |
| Ranking Member: | Roger Wicker |
| Rm Party: | R |
| Rm Since: | January 3, 2023 |
| Seats: | 25 members |
| Majority1: | D |
| Majority1 Seats: | 11 |
| Majority2: | I |
| Majority2 Seats: | 2 |
| Minority1: | R |
| Minority1 Seats: | 12 |
| Policy Areas: | Defense policy, military operations |
| Oversight: | Department of Defense, Armed Forces |
| Counterpart: | House Armed Services Committee |
The Committee on Armed Services, sometimes abbreviated SASC for Senate Armed Services Committee, is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy (as pertaining to national security), benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and other matters related to defense policy. The Armed Services Committee was created as a result of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 following the U.S. victory in World War II. The bill merged the responsibilities of the Committee on Naval Affairs, established in 1816, and the Committee on Military Affairs, also established in 1816.
Considered one of the most powerful Senate committees, its broad mandate allowed it to report some of the most extensive and revolutionary legislation during the Cold War years, including the National Security Act of 1947. The committee tends to take a more bipartisan approach than other committees, as many of its members formerly served in the military or have major defense interests located in the states they come from.[1] The committee's regular legislative product is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which has been passed by Congress and signed into law annually since 1962.[2]
The current chair is Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and the Ranking Member is Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi (2023).
According to the Standing Rules of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects are referred to the Armed Services Committee:[3]
See main article: 118th United States Congress.
| Subcommittee Name | Chair[8] | Ranking Member | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airland | Mark Kelly (D-AZ) | Tom Cotton (R-AR) | ||||
| Cybersecurity | Joe Manchin (D-WV) | Mike Rounds (R-SD) | ||||
| Emerging Threats and Capabilities | Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) | Joni Ernst (R-IA) | ||||
| Personnel | Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) | Rick Scott (R-FL) | ||||
| Readiness and Management Support | Mazie Hirono (D-HI) | Dan Sullivan (R-AK) | ||||
| Seapower | Tim Kaine (D-VA) | Kevin Cramer (R-ND) | ||||
| Strategic Forces | nowrap | Angus King (I-ME) | Deb Fischer (R-NE) | |||
| Chair | Party | State | Years | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chan Gurney | Republican | South Dakota | 1947–1949 | ||
| Millard E. Tydings | Democratic | Maryland | 1949–1951 | ||
| Richard Russell Jr. | Democratic | Georgia | 1951–1953 | ||
| Leverett Saltonstall | Republican | Massachusetts | 1953–1955 | ||
| Richard Russell Jr. | Democratic | Georgia | 1955–1969 | ||
| John C. Stennis | Democratic | Mississippi | 1969–1981 | ||
| John Tower | Republican | Texas | 1981–1985 | ||
| Barry Goldwater | Republican | Arizona | 1985–1987 | ||
| Sam Nunn | Democratic | Georgia | 1987–1995 | ||
| Strom Thurmond | Republican | South Carolina | 1995–1999 | ||
| John W. Warner | Republican | Virginia | 1999–2001 | ||
| Carl Levin | Democratic | Michigan | 2001[10] | ||
| John W. Warner | Republican | Virginia | 2001 | ||
| Carl Levin | Democratic | Michigan | 2001–2003[11] | ||
| John W. Warner | Republican | Virginia | 2003–2007 | ||
| Carl Levin | Democratic | Michigan | 2007–2015 | ||
| John McCain | Republican | Arizona | 2015–2018[12] | ||
| James Inhofe | Republican | Oklahoma | 2018–2021 | ||
| Jack Reed | Democratic | Rhode Island | 2021–present | ||
Source:
| Subcommittee | Chair | Ranking Minority Member | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airland | nowrap | Joe Lieberman (I-CT) | nowrap | John Thune (R-SD) |
| Emerging Threats and Capabilities | Bill Nelson (D-FL) | George LeMieux (R-FL) | ||
| Personnel | Jim Webb (D-VA) | nowrap | Lindsey Graham (R-SC) | |
| Readiness and Management Support | Evan Bayh (D-IN) | Richard Burr (R-NC) | ||
| SeaPower | Jack Reed (D-RI) | Roger Wicker (R-MS) | ||
| Strategic Forces | Ben Nelson (D-NE) | David Vitter (R-LA) |
Source:
| Subcommittee | Chair | Ranking Member | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airland | nowrap | Joe Lieberman (I-CT) | nowrap | Scott Brown (R-MA) | ||
| Emerging Threats and Capabilities | Kay Hagan (D-NC) | Rob Portman (R-OH) | ||||
| Personnel | Jim Webb (D-VA) | nowrap | Lindsey Graham (R-SC) | |||
| Readiness and Management Support | Claire McCaskill (D-MO) | Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) | ||||
| Seapower | Jack Reed (D-RI) | Roger Wicker (R-MS) | ||||
| Strategic Forces | Ben Nelson (D-NE) | Jeff Sessions (R-AL) | ||||
Source:
| Subcommittee | Chair | Ranking Member | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airland | nowrap | Joe Manchin (D-WV) | nowrap | Roger Wicker (R-MS) | ||
| Emerging Threats and Capabilities | Kay Hagan (D-NC) | Deb Fischer (R-NE) | ||||
| Personnel | Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) | Lindsey Graham (R-SC) | ||||
| Readiness and Management Support | Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) | Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) | ||||
| Seapower | Jack Reed (D-RI) | John McCain (R-AZ) | ||||
| Strategic Forces | Mark Udall (D-CO) | Jeff Sessions (R-AL) | ||||
| Subcommittee | Chair | Ranking Member | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airland | Tom Cotton (R-AR) | Joe Manchin (D-WV) | |||
| Emerging Threats and Capabilities | Deb Fischer (R-NE) | Bill Nelson (D-FL) | |||
| Personnel | Lindsey Graham (R-SC) | Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) | |||
| Readiness and Management Support | Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) | Tim Kaine (D-VA) | |||
| Seapower | Roger Wicker (R-MS) | Mazie Hirono (D-HI) | |||
| Strategic Forces | Jeff Sessions (R-AL) | Joe Donnelly (D-IN) | |||
See main article: 116th United States Congress.
See main article: 117th United States Congress.
Source:[13]