View source for United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics

{{Short description|U.S. government ethical oversight committee}}
{{Infobox U.S. congressional committee
|type=select
|status=active
|chamber=senate
|image=File:United_States_Senate_Select_Committee_on_Ethics.png
|image_size=200px
|succeeded=Select Committee on Standards and Conduct
|majority1=R
|majority1_seats=3
|minority1=D
|minority1_seats=3
|website={{url|https://ethics.senate.gov}}
|congress=119th
|chair=[[James Lankford]]
|formed=February 2, 1977
|seats=6 members
|vc_since={{start date|2025|01|3}}
|vc_party=D
|vice_chair=[[Chris Coons]]
|chair_since={{start date|2025|01|3}}
|chair_party=R
|counterpart=[[United States House Committee on Ethics]]
|policy_areas=[[Ethics]]
|committee_rules=[https://www.ethics.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/551b39fc-30ed-4b14-b0d3-1706608a6fcb/2015---blue-book---rulesofprocedure.pdf Ethics Committee Rules]
|meeting_place=[[Hart Senate Office Building|220 Hart Senate Office Building]]<br>[[Washington, D.C.]]}}

{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

The '''U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics''' is a [[Select or special committee (United States Congress)|select committee]] of the [[United States Senate]] charged with dealing with matters related to senatorial ethics. It is also commonly referred to as the '''Senate Ethics Committee'''. Senate rules require the Ethics Committee to be evenly divided between the Democrats and the Republicans, no matter who controls the Senate. However, the chairman always comes from the majority party. The leading committee member of the minority party is referred to as the ''Vice Chairman'' rather than the more common ''Ranking Member''.

==History==
The Senate Select Committee on Standards and Conduct was first convened in the 89th Congress (1965–66) and later replaced by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics in the 95th Congress (1977–78).

== Membership ==
Pursuant to [[Standing Rules of the United States Senate, Rule XXV|Senate Rule 25]], the committee is limited to six members, and is equally divided between Democrats and Republicans. This effectively means that either party can veto any action taken by the committee.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/general/committee_membership/committee_memberships_SLET.htm|title=U.S. Senate: Select Committee on Ethics|website=www.senate.gov|access-date=2017-01-08}}</ref>
===Members, 119th Congress===
{{main|119th United States Congress}}
{|class=wikitable
! Majority<ref>{{USBill|119|SRes|16}} (119th Congress)</ref>
! Minority<ref>{{USBill|119|SRes|17}} (119th Congress)</ref>
|-
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
* [[James Lankford]], Oklahoma, ''Chair''
* [[Jim Risch]], Idaho
* [[Deb Fischer]], Nebraska

| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
* [[Chris Coons]], Delaware, ''Vice Chair''
* [[Brian Schatz]], Hawaii
* [[Jeanne Shaheen]], New Hampshire
|}

==Chairs==

List of chairs of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Chair !! Party !! State !! Term
|-
! {{party shading/Democratic}} data-sort-value="Stennis" | [[John C. Stennis]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | D || Mississippi || 1965–1975
|-
! {{party shading/Democratic}} data-sort-value="Cannon" | [[Howard Cannon]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | D || Nevada || 1975–1977
|-
! {{party shading/Democratic}} data-sort-value="Stevenson III" | [[Adlai Stevenson III]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | D || Illinois || 1977–1980
|-
! {{party shading/Democratic}} data-sort-value="Heflin" | [[Howell Heflin]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | D || Alabama || 1980–1981
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="Wallop" | [[Malcolm Wallop]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || Wyoming || 1981–1983
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="Stevens" | [[Ted Stevens]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || Alaska || 1983–1985
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="Rudman" | [[Warren Rudman]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || New Hampshire || 1985–1987
|-
! {{party shading/Democratic}} data-sort-value="Heflin" | [[Howell Heflin]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | D || Alabama || 1987–1992
|-
! {{party shading/Democratic}} data-sort-value="Sanford" | [[Terry Sanford]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | D || North Carolina || 1992–1993
|-
! {{party shading/Democratic}} data-sort-value="Bryan" | [[Richard Bryan]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | D || Nevada || 1993–1995
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="McConnell" | [[Mitch McConnell]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || Kentucky || 1995–1997
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="Smith, Bob" | [[Bob Smith (New Hampshire politician)|Bob Smith]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || New Hampshire ||1997–1999
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="Roberts" | [[Pat Roberts]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || Kansas || 1999–2001 (ended January 3)
|-
! data-sort-value="vacant" | Vacant
| — || — || data-sort-value="2001-01" | 2001 (January 3–20)
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="Roberts" | [[Pat Roberts]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || Kansas || data-sort-value="2001-02" | 2001 (January 20 – June 6)
|-
! {{party shading/Democratic}} data-sort-value="Reid" | [[Harry Reid]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | D || Nevada || data-sort-value="2001-03" | 2001–2003 (started June 6, 2001)
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="Voinovich" | [[George Voinovich]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || Ohio || 2003–2007
|-
! {{party shading/Democratic}} data-sort-value="Boxer" | [[Barbara Boxer]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | D || California || 2007–2015
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="Isakson" | [[Johnny Isakson]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || Georgia || 2015–2019
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="Lankford" | [[James Lankford]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || Oklahoma || 2019–2021
|-
! {{party shading/Democratic}} data-sort-value="Coons" | [[Chris Coons]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | D || Delaware || 2021–2025
|-
! {{party shading/Republican}} data-sort-value="Lankford" | [[James Lankford]]
| {{party shading/Republican}} | R || Oklahoma || 2025–present
|}

== Historical committee rosters ==
=== 110th Congress ===

{| class=wikitable
! Majority
! Minority
|-
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
* [[Barbara Boxer]], California, ''Chairwoman''
* [[Mark Pryor]], Arkansas
* [[Ken Salazar]], Colorado
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
* [[John Cornyn]], Texas, ''Vice Chairman''
* [[Pat Roberts]], Kansas
* [[Johnny Isakson]], Georgia
|}

=== 111th Congress ===

{| class=wikitable
! Majority
! Minority
|-
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
* [[Barbara Boxer]], California, ''Chairwoman''
* [[Mark Pryor]], Arkansas
* [[Sherrod Brown]], Ohio
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
* [[Johnny Isakson]], Georgia, ''Vice Chairman''
* [[Pat Roberts]], Kansas
* [[Jim Risch]], Idaho
|}

=== 112th Congress ===

{| class=wikitable
! Majority
! Minority
|-
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
* [[Barbara Boxer]], California, ''Chair''
* [[Mark Pryor]], Arkansas
* [[Sherrod Brown]], Ohio
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
* [[Johnny Isakson]], Georgia, ''Vice Chair''
* [[Pat Roberts]], Kansas
* [[Jim Risch]], Idaho
|}

Source: {{USCongRec|2011|S557}}

=== 113th Congress ===

{| class=wikitable
! Majority
! Minority
|-
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
* [[Barbara Boxer]], California, ''Chair''
* [[Mark Pryor]], Arkansas
* [[Sherrod Brown]], Ohio
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
* [[Johnny Isakson]], Georgia, ''Vice Chair''
* [[Pat Roberts]], Kansas
* [[Jim Risch]], Idaho
|}

Source: {{USCongRec|2011|S557}}

=== 114th Congress ===

{| class=wikitable
! Majority
! Minority
|-
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
* [[Johnny Isakson]], Georgia, ''Chair''
* [[Pat Roberts]], Kansas
* [[Jim Risch]], Idaho
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
* [[Barbara Boxer]], California, ''Vice Chair''
* [[Chris Coons]], Delaware
* [[Brian Schatz]], Hawaii
|}

Source: {{USCongRec|2013|S296}}

===115th Congress===
Members of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, [[115th United States Congress|115th Congress]]<ref name=Members>{{cite report |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL30650.pdf |title=Senate Select Committee on Ethics: A Brief History of Its Evolution and Jurisdiction |chapter=Appendices A and B |author=Straus, Jacob R. |date=31 January 2017 |publisher=Congressional Research Service |access-date=October 12, 2017}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable
! Majority
! Minority
|-
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
* [[Johnny Isakson]], Georgia, ''Chair''
* [[Pat Roberts]], Kansas
* [[Jim Risch]], Idaho
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
* [[Chris Coons]], Delaware, ''Vice Chair''
* [[Brian Schatz]], Hawaii
* [[Jeanne Shaheen]], New Hampshire
|}

===116th Congress===
{|class=wikitable
! Majority
! Minority
|-
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
* [[James Lankford]], Oklahoma, ''Chair''
* [[Johnny Isakson]], Georgia, ''Chair''<br/>{{Small|(served until December 19, 2019)}}
* [[Pat Roberts]], Kansas
* [[Jim Risch]], Idaho
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
* [[Chris Coons]], Delaware, ''Vice Chair''
* [[Brian Schatz]], Hawaii
* [[Jeanne Shaheen]], New Hampshire
|}

===117th Congress===
{|class=wikitable
! Majority
! Minority
|-
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
* [[Chris Coons]], Delaware, ''Chair''
* [[Brian Schatz]], Hawaii
* [[Jeanne Shaheen]], New Hampshire
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
* [[James Lankford]], Oklahoma, ''Vice Chair''
* [[Jim Risch]], Idaho
* [[Deb Fischer]], Nebraska
|}

==See also==
*[[List of current United States Senate committees]]
*[[United States House Committee on Ethics]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://ethics.senate.gov/ U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics Official Website] ([https://www.loc.gov/item/lcwa00slet00/ Archive])
*[https://www.congress.gov/committee/senate-ethics/slet00 Senate Ethics Committee]. Legislation activity and reports, [[Congress.gov]].

{{United States congressional committees}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Select Committees of the United States Congress|Ethics]]
[[Category:Committees of the United States Senate|Ethics]]
[[Category:Ethics organizations]]
[[Category:Government agencies with year of establishment missing]]
[[Category:1960s establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Parliamentary committees on Justice]]