United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. congressional committee The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, also called the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, is responsible for the rules of the United States Senate, administration of congressional buildings, and with credentials and qualifications of members of the Senate, including responsibility for contested elections. The committee is not as powerful as its House counterpart, the House Committee on Rules, as it does not set the terms of debate for individual legislative proposals, since the Senate has a tradition of open debate. Some members of the committee are also ex officio members of the Joint Committee on the Library and the Joint Committee on Printing.

History

The Committee was first created as the Select Committee to Revise the Rules of the Senate on December 3, 1867. On December 9, 1874, it became a standing committee.

On January 2, 1947, its name was changed to the Committee on Rules and Administration, and it took over the functions of the following committees:

• Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
• Committee on Education and Labor (functions were later transferred to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee)
• Committee on Enrolled Bills
• Committee on Privileges and Elections

Jurisdiction

In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating primarily to the following subjects is referred to the Senate Rules Committee:

1. Administration of the Senate Office Buildings and the Senate wing of the Capitol, including the assignment of office space;
2. Congressional organization relative to rules and procedures, and Senate rules and regulations, including floor and gallery rules;
3. Corrupt practices;
4. Credentials and qualifications of Members of the Senate, contested elections, and acceptance of incompatible offices;
5. Federal elections generally, including the election of the President, Vice President, and Members of the Congress;
6. Nominations to fill a vacancy in the Vice Presidency;
7. Government Printing Office, and the printing and correction of the Congressional Record, as well as those matters provided for under rule XI;
8. Meetings of the Congress and attendance of Members;
9. Payment of money out of the contingent fund of the Senate or creating a charge upon the same (except that any resolution relating to substantive matter within the jurisdiction of any other standing committee of the Senate shall be first referred to such committee);
10. Presidential succession;
11. Purchase of books and manuscripts and erection of monuments to the memory of individuals;
12. Senate Library and statuary, art, and pictures in the Capitol and Senate Office Buildings;
13. Services to the Senate, including the Senate restaurant; and,
14. United States Capitol and congressional office buildings, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution (and the incorporation of similar institutions), and the Botanic Gardens.

The Senate Rules Committee is also charged:

1. To make a continuing study of the organization and operation of the Congress of the United States and shall recommend improvements in such organization and operation with a view toward strengthening the Congress, simplifying its operations, improving its relationships with other branches of the United States Government, and enabling it better to meet its responsibilities under the Constitution of the United States;
2. To identify any court proceeding or action which, in the opinion of the Committee, is of vital interest to the Congress as a constitutionally established institution of the Federal Government and call such proceeding or action to the attention of the Senate; and,
3. To develop, implement, and update as necessary a strategic planning process and a strategic plan for the functional and technical infrastructure support of the Senate and provide oversight over plans developed by Senate officers and others in accordance with the strategic planning process.

Members, 119th Congress

Majority	Minority
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Mitch McConnell, Kentucky, Chair Ted Cruz, Texas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Roger Wicker, Mississippi Deb Fischer, Nebraska Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Katie Britt, Alabama John Boozman, Arkansas	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Alex Padilla, California, Ranking Member Chuck Schumer, New York Mark Warner, Virginia Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Jeff Merkley, Oregon Jon Ossoff, Georgia Michael Bennet, Colorado Peter Welch, Vermont

Committee leadership

Former chairs and ranking members are listed below.

Chairs

Select Committee to Revise the Rules of the Senate, 1867–1874

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Republican	Rhode Island	1867	1871
		Kansas	1871	1873
		Michigan	1873	1874

Committee on Rules, 1874–1947

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Republican	Michigan	1874	1877
		Maine	1877	1879
	Democratic	Alabama	1879	1881
	Republican	Maine	1881	1887
		Rhode Island	1887	1893
	Democratic	Kentucky	1893	1895
	Republican	Rhode Island	1895	1899
		Wisconsin	1899	1907
		Pennsylvania	1907	1909
		Massachusetts	1909	1913
	Democratic	North Carolina	1913	1919
	Republican	Pennsylvania	1919	1921Template:Efn
		Kansas	1921Template:Efn	1929
		New Hampshire	1929	1933
	Democratic	New York	1933	1936
		West Virginia	1936	1941
		Virginia	1941	1947

Committee on Rules and Administration, 1947–present

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Republican	Illinois	1947	1949
	Democratic	Arizona	1949	1953
	Republican	Indiana	1953	1955
	Democratic	Rhode Island	1955	1957
		Missouri	1957	1960Template:Efn
		Montana	1960Template:Efn	1963
		North Carolina	1963	1973
		Nevada	1973	1978
		Rhode Island	1978	1981
	Republican	Maryland	1981	1987
	Democratic	Kentucky	1987	1995
	Republican	Alaska	1995Template:Efn
		Virginia	1995Template:Efn	1999
		Kentucky	1999	2001
	Democratic	Connecticut	2001Template:Efn
	Republican	Kentucky	2001Template:Efn
	Democratic	Connecticut	2001Template:Efn	2003
	Republican	Mississippi	2003	2007
	Democratic	California	2007	2009
		New York	2009	2015
	Republican	Missouri	2015	2017
		Alabama	2017	2018Template:Efn
		Missouri	2018Template:Efn	2021
	Democratic	Minnesota	2021	2025
	Republican	Kentucky	2025	present

Ranking members

Select Committee to Revise the Rules of the Senate, 1867–1874

Name	Party	State	Start	End
Vacant			1867	1871
	Democratic	Delaware	1871	1873
		North Carolina	1873	1874

Committee on Rules, 1874–1947

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Democratic	North Carolina	1874	1879
	Republican	Maine	1879	1881
	Democratic	Florida	1881	1883
		Tennessee	1883	1893
	Republican	Rhode Island	1893	1895
	Democratic	Kentucky	1895	1897
		Tennessee	1897Template:Efn
		Maryland	1897Template:Efn	1899
		Colorado	1899	1907
		Georgia	1907	1913
	Republican	Wyoming	1913	1915
		New Hampshire	1915	1918Template:Efn
		Wyoming	1918Template:Efn	1919
	Democratic	North Carolina	1919	1930Template:Efn
		Mississippi	1930Template:Efn	1931
		Arkansas	1931	1933
	Republican	Maine	1933	1941
		Michigan	1941	1947

Committee on Rules and Administration, 1947–present

Name	Party	State	Start	End
	Democratic	Arizona	1947	1949
	Republican	Nebraska	1949	1951Template:Efn
		Massachusetts	1951Template:Efn	1953
	Democratic	Arizona	1953	1955
	Republican	Indiana	1955	1957
		Nebraska	1957	1971
		Vermont	1971Template:Efn
		Alaska	1971Template:Efn	1972Template:Efn
		Kentucky	1972Template:Efn	1974Template:Efn
		Oregon	1975	1981
	Democratic	Kentucky	1981	1987
	Republican	Alaska	1987	1995
	Democratic	Kentucky	1995	1999
		Connecticut	1999	2001
	Republican	Kentucky	2001Template:Efn
	Democratic	Connecticut	2001Template:Efn
	Republican	Kentucky	2001Template:Efn	2003
	Democratic	Connecticut	2003	2007
	Republican	Utah	2007	2011
		Tennessee	2011	2013
		Kansas	2013	2015
	Democratic	New York	2015	2017
		Minnesota	2017	2021
	Republican	Missouri	2021	2023
		Nebraska	2023	2025
	Democratic	California	2025	present

Historical committee rosters

118th Congress

Majority

Minority

style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota, Chair Dianne Feinstein, California (until September 29, 2023) Chuck Schumer, New York Mark Warner, Virginia Jeff Merkley, Oregon Alex Padilla, California Jon Ossoff, Georgia Michael Bennet, Colorado Peter Welch, Vermont Laphonza Butler, California (October 17, 2023–December 8, 2024) Adam Schiff, California (from December 10, 2024)

style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Deb Fischer, Nebraska, Ranking Member Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Ted Cruz, Texas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Roger Wicker, Mississippi Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Katie Britt, Alabama

117th Congress

Majority	Minority
style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota, Chair Dianne Feinstein, California Chuck Schumer, New York Mark Warner, Virginia Patrick Leahy, Vermont Angus King, MaineTemplate:Efn Jeff Merkley, Oregon Alex Padilla, California Jon Ossoff, Georgia	style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Roy Blunt, Missouri, Ranking Member Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Richard Shelby, Alabama Ted Cruz, Texas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Roger Wicker, Mississippi Deb Fischer, Nebraska Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Bill Hagerty, Tennessee

116th Congress

Majority	Minority
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Roy Blunt, Missouri, Chair Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Richard Shelby, Alabama Pat Roberts, Kansas Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Ted Cruz, Texas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Roger Wicker, Mississippi Deb Fischer, Nebraska Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota, Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, California Chuck Schumer, New York Dick Durbin, Illinois Tom Udall, New Mexico Mark Warner, Virginia Patrick Leahy, Vermont Angus King, MaineTemplate:Efn Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada

115th Congress

Majority

Minority

style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Roy Blunt, Missouri, Chair (from April 10, 2018) Thad Cochran, Mississippi (until April 1, 2018) Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Richard Shelby, Alabama, Chair (until April 10, 2018) Pat Roberts, Kansas Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Ted Cruz, Texas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Roger Wicker, Mississippi Deb Fischer, Nebraska Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi

style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota, Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, California Chuck Schumer, New York Dick Durbin, Illinois Tom Udall, New Mexico Mark Warner, Virginia Patrick Leahy, Vermont Angus King, MaineTemplate:Efn Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada

Source:

114th Congress

Majority	Minority
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Roy Blunt, Missouri, Chair Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Thad Cochran, Mississippi Pat Roberts, Kansas Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Richard Shelby, Alabama Ted Cruz, Texas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia John Boozman, Arkansas Roger Wicker, Mississippi	style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading" valign=top | Chuck Schumer, New York, Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Tom Udall, New Mexico Mark Warner, Virginia Patrick Leahy, Vermont Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Angus King, MaineTemplate:Efn

Source: 2013 Congressional Record, Vol. 159, Page / S296 to 297

External links

• Official site (Archive)
• Senate Rules and Administration Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.