United States Senate Committee on Finance
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The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (or, less formally, Senate Finance Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It concerns itself with matters relating to the bonded debt of the United States; customs, collection districts, and ports of entry and delivery; deposit of public moneys; general revenue sharing; health programs under the Social Security Act and health programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund; national social security; reciprocal trade agreements; revenue measures generally and those relating to the insular possessions; tariff and import quotas, and related matters thereto; and the transportation of dutiable goods.
History
The Senate Committee on Finance is one of the oldest committees in the Senate. It was first established in 1815 as a select committee. On December 10, 1816 the Committee on Finance became a standing committee. Originally, the Committee had power over both tax and spending until the forming of the Appropriations Committee in 1867.
In 1981, a Senate Resouloution required the printing of the History of the Committee on Finance.[History of the Committee on Finance (pdf)], via Finance.Senate.Gov
Role
The role of the Committee on Finace is very similar to that of the House Committee on Ways and Means. The one exception in area of jurisdiction is that the Committee on Finance has jurisdiction over both Medicare and Medicaid, while the House Ways and Means Committee only has jurisdictoin over Medicare. The other diffence in terms of power is that all revenue raising measures must originate in the House giving the Ways and Means committee a slight edge in setting tax policy. In addition to having jurisdiction over legislation the Committee has extensive oversight powers. It has authority to investigate, review and evaluate existing laws, and the agencies that implement them.Due to the Committees wide jurisdiction it is often considered an influential committee. A wide array of Senators with differing policy concerns seek membership on the Committee because of its role in setting tax, trade, and health policy. Its importance has been severely diminished since the formulation of the Senate Appropriations Committee. None the less, many Senators consider it a great honor to sit on the committee.
Members,
| Republicans | Democrats | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | State | Member | State |- |bgcolor=| | Charles E. Grassley, Chairman | Iowa | #3333FF > | Max S. Baucus, Ranking Minority Member | Montana |- |bgcolor=| | Orrin Hatch | Utah | #3333FF > | Jay Rockefeller | West Virginia |- |bgcolor=| | Trent Lott | Mississippi | #3333FF > | Kent Conrad | North Dakota |- |bgcolor=| | Olympia Snowe | Maine | Jim Jeffords, independent | Vermont |- |bgcolor=| | Jon Kyl | Arizona | #3333FF > | Jeff Bingaman | New Mexico |- |bgcolor=| | Craig Thomas | Wyoming | #3333FF > | John Kerry | Massachusetts |- |bgcolor=| | Rick Santorum | Pennsylvania | #3333FF > | Blanche Lincoln | Arkansas |- |bgcolor=| | Bill Frist | Tennessee | #3333FF > | Ron Wyden | Oregon |- |bgcolor=| | Gordon Smith | Oregon | #3333FF > | Charles Schumer | New York |- |bgcolor=| | Jim Bunning | Kentucky |- |bgcolor=| | Mike Crapo | Idaho | |||
Subcommittees
- Subcommittee on Health Care
- *Chairman: Orrin Hatch, R-Utah
- *Ranking Democrat: Jay Rockefeller, D-West Virginia
- Subcommittee on International Trade
- *Chairman: Craig Thomas, R-Wyoming
- *Ranking Democrat: Jeff Bingaman, D-New Mexico
- Subcommittee on Long-Term Growth and Debt Reduction
- *Chairman: Gordon Smith, R-Oregon
- *Ranking Democrat: John Kerry D-Massachusetts
- Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy
- *Chairman: Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania
- *Ranking Democrat: Kent Conrad, D-North Dakota
- Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
- *Chairman: Jon Kyl, R-Arizona
- *Ranking Democrat: James Jeffords, I-Vermont
Chairmen, 1845-present
References
External links
- [Finance.senate.gov Official website]
- [History of the Committee on Finance; United States Senate (pdf)]. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1981.
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