Foreign Relations Committee, Senate

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations was established by an act of Congress in 1816 as one of its 10 original committees. It commands a special role in the creation of foreign policy as the first reviewer of policy-sensitive matters. The committee is composed of a variable number of senators, who are apportioned by party and led by a chair from the majority party and a ranking member from the minority party. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is the first institution to consider the confirmation of presidential appointees critical to the conduct of foreign policy, including the secretary of state and U.S. ambassadors. Equally important, the committee is the first to consider foreign treaties for ratification. Senators and executive branch policymakers often consult committee members, ...