Back United States Senate Committee on Armed Services German Commission des forces armées du Sénat des États-Unis French ועדת הכוחות המזוינים של הסנאט של ארצות הברית HE アメリカ合衆国上院軍事委員会 Japanese Amerikaanse Senaatscommissie voor Defensie Dutch Komisja Sił Zbrojnych Senatu Stanów Zjednoczonych Polish Комитет Сената США по вооружённым силам Russian Комітет Сенату США зі збройних сил Ukrainian Ủy ban Dịch vụ Vũ trang Thượng viện Hoa Kỳ Vietnamese 美国参议院军事委员会 Chinese
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2010) |
| Standing committee | |
|---|---|
Active United States Senate 118th Congress | |
| History | |
| Formed | January 2, 1947 |
| Leadership | |
| Chair | Roger Wicker (R) Since January 3, 2025 |
| Ranking member | Jack Reed (D) Since January 3, 2025 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 28 members |
| Political parties | Majority (15)
|
| Jurisdiction | |
| Policy areas | Defense policy, military operations |
| Oversight authority | Department of Defense, Armed Forces |
| House counterpart | House Armed Services Committee |
| Website | |
| www | |
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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, military research and development, nuclear energy (as pertaining to national security), benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and other matters related to defense policy. The Armed Services Committee was created as a result of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 following the U.S. victory in World War II. 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 years, including the National Security Act of 1947. 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.[1] The committee's regular legislative product is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which has been passed by Congress and signed into law annually since 1962.[2]
The current chair is Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and the Ranking Member is Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi (2023).
- ^ Steinhauer, Jennifer. "With Chairmanship, McCain Seizes Chance to Reshape Pentagon Agenda", The New York Times (June 9, 2015). Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ^ "History of the NDAA". February 3, 2017.