U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It is charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. The Foreign Relations Committee is generally responsible for overseeing (but not administering) and funding foreign aid programs as well as funding, arms sales and training for national allies. Along with the Finance and Judiciary committees, the Foreign Relations Committee is one of the oldest in the Senate, going back to the initial creation of committees in 1816.

Members

The Committee is currently chaired by Republican Senator Dick Lugar of Indiana. The ranking Democrat is Joe Biden of Delaware. The members of the Committee are:

• Dick Lugar (R-Indiana), chairman
• Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)
• Lincoln Chafee (R-Rhode Island)
• George Allen (R-Virginia)
• Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota)
• George Voinovich (R-Ohio)
• Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)
• John Sununu (R-New Hampshire)
• Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
• Mel Martinez (R-Florida)

• Joe Biden (D-Delaware), ranking minority member
• Paul Sarbanes (D-Maryland)
• Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut)
• John Kerry (D-Massachusetts)
• Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin)
• Barbara Boxer (D-California)
• Bill Nelson (D-Florida)
• Barack Obama (D-Illinois)

Subcommittees

• U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Terrorism
• U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs
• U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
• U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Economic Policy Export and Trade Promotion
• U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs
• U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs
• U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs

Chairmen of the Committee on Foreign Relations, 1816-present

• James Barbour (R-Va.) 1816-1818
• Nathaniel Macon (R-N.C.) 1818-1819
• James Brown (R-La.) 1819-1820
• James Barbour (R-Va.) 1820-1821
• Rufus King (F-N.Y.) 1821-1822
• James Barbour (R-Va.) 1822-1825
• Nathaniel Macon (D-N.C.) 1825-1826
• Nathan Sanford (NR-N.Y.) 1826-1827
• Nathaniel Macon (D-N.C.) 1827-1828
• Littleton W. Tazewell (D-Va.) 1828-1832
• John Forsyth (D-Ga.) 1832-1833
• William Wilkins (D-Pa.) 1833-1834
• Henry Clay (W-Ky.) 1834-1836
• James Buchanan (D-Pa.) 1836-1841
• William C. Rives (W-Va.) 1841-1842
• William S. Archer (W-Va.) 1842-1845
• William Allen (D-Ohio) 1845-1846
• Ambrose H. Sevier (D-Ark.) 1846-1848
• Edward A. Hannegan (D-Ind.) 1848-1849
• Thomas Hart Benton (D-Mo.) 1849
• William R. King (D-Ala.) 1849-1850
• Henry S. Foote (D-Miss.) 1850-1851
• James M. Mason (D-Va.) 1851-1861
• Charles Sumner (R-Mass.) 1861-1871
• Simon Cameron (R-Pa.) 1871-1877
• Hannibal Hamlin (R-Maine) 1877-1879
• William W. Eaton (D-Conn.) 1879-1881
• Ambrose E. Burnside (R-R.I.) 1881
• George F. Edmunds (R-Vt.) 1881
• William Windom (R-Minn.) 1881-1883
• John F. Miller (R-Calif.) 1883-1886
• John Sherman (R-Ohio) 1886-1893
• John T. Morgan (D-Ala.) 1893-1895
• John Sherman (R-Ohio) 1895-1897
• William P. Frye (R-Maine) 1897
• Cushman K. Davis (R-Minn.) 1897-1901
• Shelby M. Cullom (R-Ill.) 1901-1911
• Augustus O. Bacon (D-Ga.) 1913-1914
• William J. Stone (D-Mo.) 1914-1918
• Gilbert M. Hitchcock (D-Neb.) 1918-1919
• Henry Cabot Lodge (R-Mass.) 1919-1924
• William E. Borah (R-Idaho) 1924-1933
• Key Pittman (D-Nev.) 1933-1940
• Walter F. George (D-Ga.) 1940-1941
• Tom Connally (D-Texas) 1941-1947
• Arthur H. Vandenberg (R-Mich.) 1947-1949
• Tom Connally (D-Texas) 1949-1953
• Alexander Wiley (R-Wis.) 1953-1955
• Walter F. George (D-Ga.) 1955-1957
• Theodore F. Green (D-R.I.) 1957-1959
• J. William Fulbright (D-Ark.) 1959-1975
• John J. Sparkman (D-Ala.) 1975-1979
• Frank F. Church (D-Idaho) 1979-1981
• Charles H. Percy (R-Ill.) 1981-1985
• Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) 1985-1987
• Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.) 1987-1995
• Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) 1995-2001
• Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) 2001
• Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) 2001
• Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) 2001-2003
• Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) 2003-present

External links

• U.S. Senate Committee of Foreign Relations Official Website

See Also