The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (sometimes referred to as the Intelligence Committee or SSCI) is dedicated to overseeing the United States Intelligence Community—the agencies and bureaus of the federal government of the United States that provide information and analysis for leaders of the executive and legislative branches. The Committee was established in 1976 by the 94th Congress.
The Committee is "select" in that membership is temporary and rotated among members of the chamber. The committee comprises 15 members. Eight of those seats are reserved for one majority and one minority member of each of the following committees: Appropriations, Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Judiciary."Committee on Intelligence" from Riddick's Senate Procedure Of the remaining seven, four are members of the majority, and three are members of the minority. In addition, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader are non-voting ex officio members of the committee. Also, the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Armed Services (if not already a member of the select Committee) are ex officio members.
As part of its oversight responsibilities, the Committee performs an annual review of the intelligence budget submitted by the president and prepares legislation authorizing appropriations for the various civilian and military agencies and departments comprising the intelligence community. These entities include the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, as well as the intelligence-related components of Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of the Treasury, and Department of Energy.
The Committee makes recommendations to the Senate Armed Services Committee on authorizations for the intelligence-related components of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps. The Committee also conducts periodic investigations, audits, and inspections of intelligence activities and programs.
History The Select Committee on Intelligence was preceded by the Church Committee (1975). Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) became the first chair of the committee when it was established and remained in the role until 1979.
On July 8, 2004, the committee issued the Report of the Select Committee on Intelligence on the U.S. Intelligence Community's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq, and on June 5, 2008, it issued a long-delayed portion of its "phase two" investigative report, which compared the prewar public statements made by top Bush administration officials to justify the invasion with the intelligence information that was available to them at that time.
In a March 6, 2008, letter to the Senate leadership, 14 of the 15 then members of the Committee proposed the creation of a new Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Intelligence to prepare the annual intelligence budget. The proposed Subcommittee, on which members of the Intelligence Committee would be heavily represented, would increase the Committee's influence and leverage over executive branch intelligence agencies, and require continuing disclosure of the annual budget for the National Intelligence Program. The proposal has been opposed by the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee, however.
In 2013, and beyond, the SSCI received renewed attention in the wake of Edward Snowden's disclosures regarding the NSA surveillance of communications. Senator Dianne Feinstein and the SSCI made several statements on the matter, one of which was notably disputed: that the NSA tracked US citizens' locations via cellphone. Later, the SSCI Staff Director, David Grannis, claimed that the NSA did not collect cellphone location, claiming the Senator was "speaking extemporaneously". The SSCI later came to prominence in relation to voting to publish in March 2014 and then publishing in December 2014 of a report on the policies of the CIA on torture.
In 2017, the SSCI began investigating Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, possible incriminating links between members of the Russian government and members of Donald Trump's presidential campaign team, and the security of election processes in the United States. On April 21, 2020, the SSCI (chaired at the time by the Republican Richard Burr) released a much redacted report with its final judgment that the intelligence community's assessment was "coherent and well-constructed"; the SSCI therefore supports the intelligence community's claim that Putin's "interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election" in favor of candidate Trump was unprecedented in its "manner and aggressiveness". Nevertheless, no direct evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia was found.
In 2018, the SSCI Director of Security James Wolfe was arrested and convicted of lying to the FBI on the leak of classified documents to a reporter with whom he was in an affair.
On May 14, 2020, Senator Burr, who oversaw the probe on Russian interference in the 2016 election, stepped down as SSCI chair due to an ongoing investigation regarding insider trading by Senator Burr during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator McConnell announced on May 18, 2020 that Marco Rubio would replace Burr temporarily.
Members, 119th Congress
Majority (119th Congress)Minority (119th Congress)Tom Cotton, Arkansas, Chair Jim Risch, Idaho Susan Collins, Maine John Cornyn, Texas Jerry Moran, Kansas James Lankford, Oklahoma Mike Rounds, South Dakota Todd Young, Indiana Ted Budd, North Carolina Mark Warner, Virginia, Vice Chair Ron Wyden, Oregon Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Angus King, MaineAngus King is an Independent, but caucuses with the Democrats. Michael Bennet, Colorado Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Jon Ossoff, Georgia Mark Kelly, ArizonaEx officioRoger Wicker, Mississippi John Thune, South DakotaJack Reed, Rhode Island Chuck Schumer, New York
Historical committee membership 118th Congress
Majority (118th Congress)Minority (118th Congress)Mark Warner, Virginia, Chair Dianne Feinstein, California (until September 29, 2023) Ron Wyden, Oregon Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Angus King, Maine Michael Bennet, Colorado Bob Casey, Pennsylvania Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Jon Ossoff, Georgia Mark Kelly, Arizona (from October 17, 2023)Marco Rubio, Florida, Vice Chair Jim Risch, Idaho Susan Collins, Maine Tom Cotton, Arkansas John Cornyn, Texas Jerry Moran, Kansas James Lankford, Oklahoma Mike Rounds, South DakotaEx officioJack Reed, Rhode Island Chuck Schumer, New YorkRoger Wicker, Mississippi Mitch McConnell, Kentucky
117th Congress
MajorityMinorityMark Warner, Virginia, Chair Dianne Feinstein, California Ron Wyden, Oregon Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Angus King, Maine Michael Bennet, Colorado Bob Casey, Pennsylvania Kirsten Gillibrand, New YorkMarco Rubio, Florida, Vice Chair Richard Burr, North Carolina Jim Risch, Idaho Susan Collins, Maine Roy Blunt, Missouri Tom Cotton, Arkansas John Cornyn, Texas Ben Sasse, NebraskaEx officioJack Reed, Rhode Island Chuck Schumer, New YorkJim Inhofe, Oklahoma Mitch McConnell, Kentucky
116th Congress
MajorityMinorityRichard Burr, North Carolina, Chair Marco Rubio, Florida, Acting Chair Jim Risch, Idaho Susan Collins, Maine Roy Blunt, Missouri Tom Cotton, Arkansas John Cornyn, Texas Ben Sasse, NebraskaMark Warner, Virginia, Vice Chair Dianne Feinstein, California Ron Wyden, Oregon Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Angus King, Maine Kamala Harris, California Michael Bennet, ColoradoEx officioJim Inhofe, Oklahoma Mitch McConnell, KentuckyJack Reed, Rhode Island Chuck Schumer, New York
Source: Member list
115th Congress
MajorityMinorityRichard Burr, North Carolina, Chair Jim Risch, Idaho Marco Rubio, Florida Susan Collins, Maine Roy Blunt, Missouri James Lankford, Oklahoma Tom Cotton, Arkansas John Cornyn, TexasMark Warner, Virginia, Vice Chair Dianne Feinstein, California Ron Wyden, Oregon Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Angus King, Maine Joe Manchin, West Virginia Kamala Harris, CaliforniaEx officioJim Inhofe, Oklahoma John McCain, Arizona Mitch McConnell, KentuckyJack Reed, Rhode Island Chuck Schumer, New York
Source: Member List
Chairs NamePartyStateStartEnd DemocraticIdaho19751976 DemocraticHawaii19761978 DemocraticIndiana19781981 RepublicanArizona19811985 RepublicanMinnesota19851987 DemocraticOklahoma19871993 DemocraticArizona19931995 RepublicanPennsylvania19951997 RepublicanAlabama19972001 DemocraticFlorida2001 RepublicanAlabama2001 DemocraticFlorida20012003 RepublicanKansas20032007 DemocraticWest Virginia20072009 DemocraticCalifornia20092015 RepublicanNorth Carolina20152020 RepublicanFlorida20202021 DemocraticVirginia20212025 RepublicanArkansas2025present
Ranking members NamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanTexas19751976RepublicanNew Jersey19761977RepublicanArizona19771981DemocraticNew York19811985DemocraticVermont19851987RepublicanMaine19871991RepublicanAlaska19911993RepublicanVirginia19931995DemocraticNebraska19951999DemocraticNevada19992001DemocraticFlorida2001RepublicanAlabama20012003DemocraticWest Virginia20032007RepublicanMissouri20072011RepublicanGeorgia20112015DemocraticCalifornia20152017DemocraticVirginia20172021RepublicanFlorida20212025DemocraticVirginia2025present
Staff directors Christopher Joyner, 2015–2022 David Grannis, 2009–2014 Andy Johnson, 2004–2008 Alfred Cumming, 2000–2003 George Tenet, 1989–1993 Nicholas Rostow, 1999-2000
See also U.S. Senate report on CIA torture
List of United States Senate committees United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence United States Senate Committee on Armed Services The Report (2019 film)
References
External links U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Official Website Committee Publications Committee Hearing Schedule & Archive Committee Press Releases US GPO Congressional Directory includes information on past members .