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 Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
, military
research and development
Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...
,
nuclear energy (as pertaining to
national security
National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military att ...
), benefits for members of the military, the
Selective Service System
The Selective Service System (SSS) is an independent agency of the United States government that maintains information on U.S. citizens and other U.S. residents potentially subject to military conscription (i.e., the draft) and carries out cont ...
and other matters related to defense policy. The Armed Services Committee was created as a result of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946
The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (also known as the Congressional Reorganization Act, ch. 753, , enacted August 2, 1946) was the most comprehensive reorganization of the United States Congress in history to that date.
Background
The n ...
following U.S. victory in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. 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
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
years, including the
National Security Act of 1947
The National Security Act of 1947 ( Pub.L.br>80-253 61 Stat.br>495 enacted July 26, 1947) was a law enacting major restructuring of the United States government's military and intelligence agencies following World War II. The majority of the pro ...
. 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. The committee's regular legislative product is the
National Defense Authorization Act
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is the name for each of a series of United States federal laws specifying the annual budget and expenditures of the U.S. Department of Defense. The first NDAA was passed in 1961. The U.S. Congress o ...
(NDAA), which has been passed by Congress and signed into law each year since 1962.
The current chair is Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and the Ranking Member is Republican Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma.
Jurisdiction
According to the
Standing Rules of the United States Senate
The Standing Rules of the Senate are the parliamentary procedures adopted by the United States Senate that govern its procedure. The Senate's power to establish rules derives from Article One, Section5 of the United States Constitution: "Each ...
, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects are referred to the Armed Services Committee:
# Aeronautical and space activities pertaining to or primarily associated with the development of weapons systems or military operations.
# Common defense.
# Department of Defense, the
Department of the Army
The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the U.S. The Department of the Army is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is org ...
, the
Department of the Navy, and the
Department of the Air Force
The United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Air Force was formed on September 18, 1947, per the National Sec ...
, generally.
# Maintenance and operation of the Panama Canal, including administration, sanitation, and government of the Canal Zone.
# Military research and development.
# National security aspects of nuclear energy.
# Naval petroleum reserves, except those in Alaska.
# Pay, promotion, retirement, and other benefits and privileges of members of the Armed Forces, including overseas education of civilian and military dependents.
# Selective service system.
# Strategic and critical materials necessary for the common defense.
Members, 117th Congress
Subcommittees
Chairs
Committee on Military Affairs, 1816–1947
Committee on Naval Affairs, 1816–1947
Committee on Armed Services, 1947–present
Historical committee rosters
111th Congress
Source:
;Subcommittees
112th Congress
Source:
;Subcommittees
113th Congress
Source:
;Subcommittees
114th Congress
115th Congress
116th Congress
Source:
See also
*
United States House Committee on Armed Services
The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee or HASC, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for funding and oversight of the Department of De ...
*
List of current United States Senate committees
This is a complete list of U.S. congressional committees (standing committees and select or special committees) that are operating in the United States Senate. Senators can be a member of more than one committee.
Standing committees
, there are ...
Footnotes
External links
*
archive Senate Armed Services Committee Report on Torturereleased November 20, 2008.
* Historic archives at
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
:
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*
{{United States Space Force
Armed Services
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
Veterans' affairs in the United States
1816 establishments in the United States
Organizations established in 1816
Civil–military relations