United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

Senate Appropriations Committee

Standing committee
Active United States Senate 118th Congress
History
Formed	March 6, 1867
Leadership
Chair	Patty Murray (D) Since January 3, 2023
Vice chair	Susan Collins (R) Since January 3, 2023
Structure
Seats	28 members
Political parties	Majority (15)   Democratic (15) Minority (14)   Republican (14)
Jurisdiction
Policy areas	Appropriations bills, Discretionary spending, Rescission bills
Oversight authority	Federal government of the United States
House counterpart	House Committee on Appropriations
Meeting place
304 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C., S-128 United States Capitol Washington, D.C.
Website
www.appropriations.senate.gov

The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committee in the U.S. Senate, with 30 members in the

The chairman of the Appropriations Committee has enormous power to bring home special projects (sometimes referred to as "pork barrel spending") for their state as well as having the final say on other senators' appropriation requests.^[3] For example, in fiscal year 2005 per capita federal spending in Alaska, the home state of then-Chairman Ted Stevens, was $12,000, double the national average. Alaska has 11,772 special earmarked projects for a combined cost of $15,780,623,000. This represents about four percent of the overall spending in the $388 billion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 passed by Congress.^[4]

From 2001 to 2021, every

(current committee member; majority leader, 2015–2021).

The appropriations process

War in Iraq

.

The federal budget is divided into two main categories:

. Each subcommittee must adhere to the spending limits set by the budget resolution and allocations set by the full Appropriations Committee, though the full Senate may vote to waive those limits if 60 senators vote to do so. The committee also reviews supplemental spending bills (covering unforeseen or emergency expenses not previously budgeted).

Each appropriations bill must be passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the president prior to the start of the federal fiscal year, October 1. If that target is not met, as has been common in recent years, the committee drafts a continuing resolution, which is then approved by Congress and signed by the president to keep the federal government operating until the individual bills are approved.

Jurisdiction

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

1. Appropriation of the revenue for the support of the Government, except as provided in subparagraph (e);
2. Rescission of appropriations contained in appropriation Acts (referred to in section 105 of title 1, United States Code);
3. The amount of new spending authority described in section 401(c)(2) (A) and (B) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 which is to be effective for a fiscal year; and,
4. New spending authority described in section 401(c)(2)(C) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 provided in bills and resolutions referred to the committee under section 401(b)(2) of that Act (but subject to the provisions of section 401(b)(3) of that Act).^[1]

Likewise, Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution, clearly vesting the power of the purse in Congress, states: "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law...and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time."^[1] This clause is the foundation for the congressional appropriations process and the fundamental source of the Senate Appropriations Committee's institutional power – as is the same with its counterpart in the lower house.^[2] In other words, Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution charges the United States Congress with the legislative duty of controlling government spending separate from the executive branch of government – a significant check and balance in the American constitutional system.^[3]

Members, 118th Congress

Majority[4]

Minority[5]

Patty Murray, Washington, Chair Dianne Feinstein, California (until September 29, 2023) Dick Durbin, Illinois Jack Reed, Rhode Island Jon Tester, Montana Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Jeff Merkley, Oregon Chris Coons, Delaware Brian Schatz, Hawaii Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Joe Manchin, West Virginia Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Gary Peters, Michigan Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona (from October 17, 2023)[6][7]

Susan Collins, Maine, Vice Chair Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Jerry Moran, Kansas John Hoeven, North Dakota John Boozman, Arkansas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia John Kennedy, Louisiana Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Katie Britt, Alabama Marco Rubio, Florida Deb Fischer, Nebraska

Subcommittees

Subcommittee[8]	Chair	Ranking Member
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies	Martin Heinrich (D-NM)	John Hoeven (R-ND)
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies	Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)	Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Defense	Jon Tester (D-MT)	Susan Collins (R-ME)
Energy and Water Development	Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)	John Kennedy (R-LA)
Financial Services and General Government	Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)	Bill Hagerty (R-TN)
Homeland Security	Chris Murphy (D-CT)	Katie Britt (R-AL)
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies	Jeff Merkley (D-OR)	Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies	Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)	Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
Legislative Branch	Jack Reed (D-RI)	Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies	Patty Murray (D-WA)	John Boozman (R-AR)
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs	Chris Coons (D-DE)	Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies	Brian Schatz (D-HI)	Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)

Committee reorganization during the 110th Congress

At the outset of the 110th Congress, Chairman Robert Byrd and Chairman Dave Obey, his counterpart on the House Appropriations Committee, developed a committee reorganization plan that provided for common subcommittee structures between both houses, a move that both the chairmen hope will allow Congress to "complete action on each of the government funding on time for the first time since 1994."^[5][6] The subcommittees were last overhauled between the 107th and 108th Congresses, after the creation of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security and again during the 109th Congress, when the number of subcommittees was reduced from 13 to 12.

A key part of the new subcommittee organization was the establishment of a new

. These functions were previously handled by two separate Senate subcommittees.

Chairs and Vice Chairs, 1867–present

Congress	Chair	Party	State	Vice Chair	Party	State
40th	Lot Morrill	Republican	Maine	Cornelius Cole	Republican	California
41st	William Pitt Fessenden until September 8, 1869	Republican	Maine	William Sprague IV	Republican	Rhode Island
	Lot Morrill from September 8, 1869	Republican	Maine
42nd	Cornelius Cole	Republican	California	William Windom	Republican	Minnesota
43rd	Lot Morrill until July 7, 1876	Republican	Maine	William Allison	Republican	Iowa
44th				Stephen W. Dorsey	Democratic	Arkansas
	William Windom from July 7, 1876	Republican	Minnesota
45th				Henry Davis	Democratic	West Virginia
46th	Henry Davis	Democratic	West Virginia	William Windom	Republican	Minnesota
47th	William Allison	Republican	Iowa	Henry Davis	Democratic	West Virginia
48th				James B. Beck	Democratic	Kentucky
49th
50th
51st				Francis Cockrell	Democratic	Missouri
52nd
53rd	Francis Cockrell	Democratic	Missouri	William Allison	Republican	Iowa
54th	William Allison until August 4, 1908	Republican	Iowa	Francis Cockrell	Democratic	Missouri
55th
56th
57th
58th
59th 60th				Henry Teller	Democratic	Colorado
60th
	Eugene Hale from August 4, 1908	Republican	Maine
61st				Benjamin R. Tillman	Democratic	South Carolina
62nd	Francis E. Warren	Republican	Wyoming
63rd	Thomas S. Martin	Democratic	Virginia	Francis E. Warren	Republican	Wyoming
64th
65th
66th	Francis E. Warren until November 24, 1929	Republican	Wyoming	Lee Overman	Democratic	North Carolina
67th
68th
69th
70th 71st
71st				William J. Harris	Democratic	Georgia
	Wesley L. Jones from November 24, 1929 until November 19, 1932	Republican	Washington
72nd
	Frederick Hale from November 19, 1932	Republican	Maine
73rd	Carter Glass until May 28, 1946	Democratic	Virginia	Frederick Hale	Republican	Maine
74th
75th
76th
77th				Gerald P. Nye	Republican	North Dakota
78th
79th				Styles Bridges	Republican	New Hampshire
	Kenneth McKellar from May 28, 1946	Democratic	Tennessee
80th	Styles Bridges	Republican	New Hampshire	Kenneth McKellar	Democratic	Tennessee
81st	Kenneth McKellar	Democratic	Tennessee	Styles Bridges	Republican	New Hampshire
82nd
83rd	Styles Bridges	Republican	New Hampshire	Carl Hayden	Democratic	Arizona
84th	Carl Hayden	Democratic	Arizona	Styles Bridges until November 26, 1961	Republican	New Hampshire
85th
86th
87th
				Leverett Saltonstall from November 26, 1961	Republican	Massachusetts
88th
89th
90th				Milton Young	Republican	North Dakota
91st	Richard B. Russell	Democratic	Georgia
92nd	Allen J. Ellender until July 27, 1972	Democratic	Louisiana
	John L. McClellan from July 27, 1972	Democratic	Arkansas
93rd
94th
95th	Warren G. Magnuson	Democratic	Washington
96th
97th	Mark O. Hatfield	Republican	Oregon	William Proxmire	Democratic	Wisconsin
98th				John C. Stennis	Democratic	Mississippi
99th
100th	John C. Stennis	Democratic	Mississippi	Mark O. Hatfield	Republican	Oregon
101st	Robert C. Byrd	Democratic	West Virginia
102nd
103rd
104th	Mark O. Hatfield	Republican	Oregon	Robert C. Byrd	Democratic	West Virginia
105th	Ted Stevens	Republican	Alaska
106th
107th	Robert C. Byrd until January 20, 2001	Democratic	West Virginia	Ted Stevens until January 20, 2001	Republican	Alaska
	Ted Stevens from January 20, 2001 until June 6, 2001	Republican	Alaska	Robert C. Byrd from January 20, 2001 until June 6, 2001	Democratic	West Virginia
	Robert C. Byrd from June 6, 2001	Democratic	West Virginia	Ted Stevens from June 6, 2001	Republican	Alaska
108th	Ted Stevens	Republican	Alaska	Robert C. Byrd	Democratic	West Virginia
109th	Thad Cochran	Republican	Mississippi
110th	Robert C. Byrd	Democratic	West Virginia	Thad Cochran	Republican	Mississippi
111th	Daniel K. Inouye until December 17, 2012	Democratic	Hawaii
112th
	Barbara Mikulski from December 17, 2012	Democratic	Maryland
113th				Richard Shelby	Republican	Alabama
114th	Thad Cochran until April 1, 2018	Republican	Mississippi	Barbara Mikulski	Democratic	Maryland
115th				Patrick Leahy	Democratic	Vermont
	Richard Shelby from April 10, 2018	Republican	Alabama
116th
117th	Patrick Leahy	Democratic	Vermont	Richard Shelby	Republican	Alabama
118th	Patty Murray	Democratic	Washington	Susan Collins	Republican	Maine

Historical membership rosters

117th Congress

Majority	Minority
Patrick Leahy, Vermont, Chairman Patty Murray, Washington Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Jack Reed, Rhode Island Jon Tester, Montana Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Jeff Merkley, Oregon Chris Coons, Delaware Brian Schatz, Hawaii Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Joe Manchin, West Virginia Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Martin Heinrich, New Mexico	Richard Shelby, Alabama, Vice Chairman Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Susan Collins, Maine Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Roy Blunt, Missouri Jerry Moran, Kansas John Hoeven, North Dakota John Boozman, Arkansas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia John Kennedy, Louisiana Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Mike Braun, Indiana Marco Rubio, Florida Bill Hagerty, Tennessee

116th Congress

Majority

Minority

Richard Shelby, Alabama, Chair Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Susan Collins, Maine Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Roy Blunt, Missouri Jerry Moran. Kansas John Hoeven, North Dakota John Boozman, Arkansas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia John Kennedy, Louisiana Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Steve Daines, Montana Marco Rubio, Florida James Lankford, Oklahoma[9]

Patrick Leahy, Vermont, Vice Chair Patty Murray, Washington Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Jack Reed, Rhode Island Jon Tester, Montana Tom Udall, New Mexico Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Jeff Merkley, Oregon Chris Coons, Delaware Brian Schatz, Hawaii Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Joe Manchin, West Virginia Chris Van Hollen, Maryland

115th Congress

Majority

Minority

Richard Shelby, Alabama, Chair (from April 10, 2018) Thad Cochran, Mississippi, Chair (until April 1, 2018) Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Susan Collins, Maine Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Roy Blunt, Missouri Jerry Moran, Kansas John Hoeven, North Dakota John Boozman, Arkansas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia James Lankford, Oklahoma Steve Daines, Montana John Kennedy, Louisiana Marco Rubio, Florida Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi (from April 10, 2018)

Patrick Leahy, Vermont, Vice Chair Patty Murray, Washington Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Jack Reed, Rhode Island Jon Tester, Montana Tom Udall, New Mexico Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Jeff Merkley, Oregon Chris Coons, Delaware Brian Schatz, Hawaii Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Joe Manchin, West Virginia Chris Van Hollen, Maryland

Source :"U.S. Senate: Committee on Appropriations". Senate.gov. Retrieved April 11, 2018.

114th Congress

Majority

Minority

Thad Cochran, Mississippi, Chair Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Richard Shelby, Alabama Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Susan Collins, Maine Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Mark Kirk, Illinois Roy Blunt, Missouri Jerry Moran, Kansas John Hoeven, North Dakota John Boozman, Arkansas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia Bill Cassidy, Louisiana James Lankford, Oklahoma Steve Daines, Montana

Barbara Mikulski, Maryland, Vice Chair Patrick Leahy, Vermont Patty Murray, Washington Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Jack Reed, Rhode Island Jon Tester, Montana Tom Udall, New Mexico Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Jeff Merkley, Oregon Chris Coons, Delaware Brian Schatz, Hawaii Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut

Source: 2013 Congressional Record, Vol. 159, Page S296

113th Congress

Majority

Minority

Barbara Mikulski, Maryland, Chair Patrick Leahy, Vermont Tom Harkin, Iowa Patty Murray, Washington Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Tim Johnson, South Dakota Mary Landrieu, Louisiana Jack Reed, Rhode Island Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey (died June 3, 2013) Mark Pryor, Arkansas Jon Tester, Montana Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Jeff Merkley, Oregon Mark Begich, Alaska Christopher A. Coons , Delaware (since June 2013)

Richard Shelby, Alabama, Vice Chair Thad Cochran, Mississippi Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Susan Collins, Maine Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Mark Kirk, Illinois Daniel Coats, Indiana Roy Blunt, Missouri Jerry Moran, Kansas John Hoeven, North Dakota Mike Johanns, Nebraska John Boozman, Arkansas

Source:^[10]

112th Congress

Majority	Minority
Daniel Inouye, Hawaii, Chair (died December 17, 2012) Patrick Leahy, Vermont Tom Harkin, Iowa Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Patty Murray, Washington Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Tim Johnson, South Dakota Mary Landrieu, Louisiana Jack Reed, Rhode Island Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey Ben Nelson, Nebraska Mark Pryor, Arkansas Jon Tester, Montana Sherrod Brown, Ohio	Thad Cochran, Mississippi, Vice Chair Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Richard Shelby, Alabama Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Susan Collins, Maine Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Mark Kirk, Illinois Daniel Coats, Indiana Roy Blunt, Missouri Jerry Moran, Kansas John Hoeven, North Dakota Ron Johnson, Wisconsin

111th Congress

Majority

Minority

Daniel Inouye, Hawaii, Chair Robert Byrd, West Virginia Patrick Leahy, Vermont Tom Harkin, Iowa Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Herb Kohl, Wisconsin Patty Murray, Washington Byron Dorgan, North Dakota Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Tim Johnson, South Dakota Mary Landrieu, Louisiana Jack Reed, Rhode Island Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey Ben Nelson, Nebraska Mark Pryor, Arkansas Jon Tester, Montana Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania

Thad Cochran, Mississippi, Vice Chair Kit Bond, Missouri Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Richard Shelby, Alabama Judd Gregg, New Hampshire Bob Bennet, Utah Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas Sam Brownback, Kansas Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Susan Collins, Maine George Voinovich, Ohio Lisa Murkowski, Alaska

110th Congress

Majority	Minority
Robert Byrd, West Virginia, Chair Daniel Inouye, Hawaii Patrick Leahy, Vermont Tom Harkin, Iowa Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Herb Kohl, Wisconsin Patty Murray, Washington Byron Dorgan, North Dakota Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Tim Johnson, South Dakota Mary Landrieu, Louisiana Jack Reed, Rhode Island Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey Ben Nelson, Nebraska	Thad Cochran, Mississippi, Vice Chair Ted Stevens, Alaska Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Pete Domenici, New Mexico Kit Bond, Missouri Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Richard Shelby, Alabama Judd Gregg, New Hampshire Bob Bennet, Utah Larry Craig, Idaho Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas Sam Brownback, Kansas Wayne Allard, Colorado Lamar Alexander, Tennessee

109th Congress

Majority	Minority
Thad Cochran, Mississippi, Chair Ted Stevens, Alaska Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Pete Domenici, New Mexico Kit Bond, Missouri Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Conrad Burns, Montana Richard Shelby, Alabama Judd Gregg, New Hampshire Bob Bennet, Utah Larry Craig, Idaho Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas Mike DeWine, Ohio Sam Brownback, Kansas Wayne Allard, Colorado	Robert Byrd, West Virginia, Vice Chair Daniel Inouye, Hawaii Patrick Leahy, Vermont Tom Harkin, Iowa Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Herb Kohl, Wisconsin Patty Murray, Washington Byron Dorgan, North Dakota Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Tim Johnson, South Dakota Mary Landrieu, Louisiana

See also

• List of current United States Senate committees
• United States budget process
• U.S. House Committee on Appropriations
• U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
• U.S. Senate Budget Committee
• Appropriations bill (United States)
• 2015 United States federal appropriations

References

^ "Overview of the Committee's role". U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. Archived from the original on October 13, 2005. Retrieved October 14, 2005.

^ "Creation of the Senate Committee on Appropriations". U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. Archived from the original on September 27, 2005. Retrieved October 14, 2005.

^ Courtney Mabeus. "Buying Leadership". Capital Eye. Retrieved October 14, 2005.

^ Rosenbaum, David E. (February 9, 2005). "Call it Pork or Necessity, but Alaska Comes Out Far Above the Rest in Spending". New York Times.

^ "Senate, House Appropriations Set Subcommittee Plans for New Congress". U.S. House Committee on Appropriations. Archived from the original on January 31, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2007.

^ "Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Rosters Set". National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2007.

^ "Daniel Inouye Dies". Politico. December 17, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.

Further reading

• Frumin, Alan S. "Appropriations" in Riddick's Senate Procedure, 150–213. Washington, D.C.:
  Government Printing Office
  , 1992.
• Munson, Richard. The Cardinals of Capitol Hill; The Men and Women Who Control Government Spending. Grove Press, 1993.
  ISBN 0-8021-1460-1
  .
• Senate Committee on Appropriations. United States Senate Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, 1867–2008. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2008.
• Streeter, Sandy. The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service, 2008.

External links

• U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Official Website, appropriations.senate.gov (Archive)
• Senate Appropriations Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.
• Status of Appropriations Legislation, Congress.gov.
• Appropriations Subcommittee Structure: History of Changes from 1920 to 2011 by Congressional Research Service.