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: Administration of the Senate Office Buildings and the Senate wing of the Capitol, including the assignment of office space; Congressional organization relative to rules and procedures, and Senate rules and regulations, including floor and gallery rules; Corrupt practices; Credentials and qualifications of Members of the Senate, contested elections, and acceptance of incompatible offices; Federal elections generally, including the election of the President, Vice President, and Members of the Congress; Nominations to fill a vacancy in the Vice Presidency; Government Printing Office, and the printing and correction of the Congressional Record, as well as those matters provided for under rule XI; Meetings of the Congress and attendance of Members; 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); Presidential succession; Purchase of books and manuscripts and erection of monuments to the memory of individuals; Senate Library and statuary, art, and pictures in the Capitol and Senate Office Buildings; Services to the Senate, including the Senate restaurant; and, 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: 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; 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, 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 (119th Congress)Minority (119th Congress)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, ArkansasAlex 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 NamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanRhode Island18671871Kansas18711873Michigan18731874
Committee on Rules, 1874–1947 NamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanMichigan18741877Maine18771879DemocraticAlabama18791881RepublicanMaine18811887Rhode Island18871893DemocraticKentucky18931895RepublicanRhode Island18951899Wisconsin18991907Pennsylvania19071909Massachusetts19091913DemocraticNorth Carolina19131919RepublicanPennsylvania19191921Kansas19211929New Hampshire19291933DemocraticNew York19331936West Virginia19361941Virginia19411947
Committee on Rules and Administration, 1947–present NamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanIllinois19471949DemocraticArizona19491953RepublicanIndiana19531955DemocraticRhode Island19551957Missouri19571960Montana19601963North Carolina19631973Nevada19731978Rhode Island19781981RepublicanMaryland19811987DemocraticKentucky19871995RepublicanAlaska1995Virginia19951999Kentucky19992001DemocraticConnecticut2001RepublicanKentucky2001DemocraticConnecticut20012003RepublicanMississippi20032007DemocraticCalifornia20072009New York20092015RepublicanMissouri20152017Alabama20172018Missouri20182021DemocraticMinnesota20212025RepublicanKentucky2025present
Ranking members
Select Committee to Revise the Rules of the Senate, 1867–1874 NamePartyStateStartEndVacant18671871DemocraticDelaware18711873North Carolina18731874
Committee on Rules, 1874–1947 NamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticNorth Carolina18741879RepublicanMaine18791881DemocraticFlorida18811883Tennessee18831893RepublicanRhode Island18931895DemocraticKentucky18951897Tennessee1897Maryland18971899Colorado18991907Georgia19071913RepublicanWyoming19131915New Hampshire19151918Wyoming19181919DemocraticNorth Carolina19191930Mississippi19301931Arkansas19311933RepublicanMaine19331941Michigan19411947
Committee on Rules and Administration, 1947–present NamePartyStateStartEndDemocraticArizona19471949RepublicanNebraska19491951Massachusetts19511953DemocraticArizona19531955RepublicanIndiana19551957Nebraska19571971Vermont1971Alaska19711972Kentucky19721974Oregon19751981DemocraticKentucky19811987RepublicanAlaska19871995DemocraticKentucky19951999Connecticut19992001RepublicanKentucky2001DemocraticConnecticut2001RepublicanKentucky20012003DemocraticConnecticut20032007RepublicanUtah20072011Tennessee20112013Kansas20132015DemocraticNew York20152017Minnesota20172021RepublicanMissouri20212023Nebraska20232025DemocraticCalifornia2025present
Historical committee rosters 118th Congress
Majority (118th Congress)Minority (118th Congress)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)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
MajorityMinorityAmy Klobuchar, Minnesota, Chair Dianne Feinstein, California Chuck Schumer, New York Mark Warner, Virginia Patrick Leahy, Vermont Angus King, Maine Jeff Merkley, Oregon Alex Padilla, California Jon Ossoff, GeorgiaRoy 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
MajorityMinorityRoy 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, MississippiAmy 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, Maine Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada
115th Congress MajorityMinorityRoy 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, MississippiAmy 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, Maine Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada
Source: 114th Congress MajorityMinorityRoy 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, MississippiChuck 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, Maine
Source: to 297
Notes
References
External links Official site (Archive) Senate Rules and Administration Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.