United States House Committee on Armed Services


The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for funding and oversight of the Department of Defense and the United States Armed Forces, as well as substantial portions of the Department of Energy.

Jurisdiction

The Armed Services Committee has jurisdiction over defense policy generally, ongoing military operations, the organization and reform of the Department of Defense and Department of Energy, counter-drug programs, acquisition and industrial base policy, technology transfer and export controls, joint interoperability, the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, Department of Energy nonproliferation programs, and detainee affairs and policy.

History

The Armed Services Committee was created by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, which consolidated the functions of two predecessor committees: the Committee on Military Affairs and the Committee on Naval Affairs, which were established as standing committees in 1822. Another predecessor, the Committee on the Militia, was created in 1835 and existed until 1911 when it was abolished and its jurisdiction transferred to the Committee on Military Affairs. When Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 1994, the committee was renamed the Committee on National Security. It was later renamed the Committee on Armed Services.

Members, 116th Congress

Resolutions electing members: , , , ,

Historical membership rosters

115th Congress

Subcommittees

Source:

Chairmen since 1947

ChairmanPartyStateYears
Walter G. AndrewsRepublicanNew York1947–1949
Carl VinsonDemocraticGeorgia1949–1953
Dewey J. ShortRepublicanMissouri1953–1955
Carl VinsonDemocraticGeorgia1955–1965
L. Mendel RiversDemocraticSouth Carolina1965–1970
Philip J. PhilbinDemocraticMassachusetts1970–1971
F. Edward HébertDemocraticLouisiana1971–1975
Melvin PriceDemocraticIllinois1975–1985
Les AspinDemocraticWisconsin1985–1993
Ron DellumsDemocraticCalifornia1993–1995
Floyd SpenceRepublicanSouth Carolina1995–2001
Bob StumpRepublicanArizona2001–2003
Duncan HunterRepublicanCalifornia2003–2007
Ike SkeltonDemocraticMissouri2007–2011
Buck McKeonRepublicanCalifornia2011–2015
Mac ThornberryRepublicanTexas2015–2019
Adam SmithDemocraticWashington2019–present