Committee History

The Senate Committees on Military Affairs; on the Militia; and Naval Affairs were established on December 10, 1816.  The Committee on the Militia was merged with the Committee on Military Affairs in 1858 to form the Military Affairs and Militia Committee.  However, in 1872 the Committee dropped "Militia" from its name.  The Military Affairs and Naval Affairs Committees existed until 1947 when they were combined by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 into a new standing committee, the current Committee on Armed Services.

Committee Jurisdiction



2. Common defense.



5. Military research and development.

6. National security aspects of nuclear energy.

7. Naval petroleum reserves, except those in Alaska.


9. Selective service system.

10. Strategic and critical materials necessary for the common defense.
