United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

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.

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Select committee
Active United States Senate 119th Congress
History
Formed	May 19, 1976
Succeeded	Church Committee
Leadership
Chair	Tom Cotton (R) Since January 3, 2025
Vice chair	Mark Warner (D) Since January 3, 2025
Structure
Seats	17 members
Political parties	Majority (9)   Republican (9) Minority (8)   Democratic (7)   Independent (1)
Jurisdiction
Purpose	to "oversee and make continuing studies of the intelligence activities and programs of the United States Government"
Oversight authority	United States Intelligence Community
House counterpart	House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Meeting place
211 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C.
Website
intelligence.senate.gov
Rules
Rules of Procedure of the Select Committee on Intelligence

The US Senate Report on CIA Detention Interrogation Program that details the use of torture during CIA detention and interrogation.

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. 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 Chairman 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 chairman 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	Minority
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, Maine Michael Bennet, Colorado Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Jon Ossoff, Georgia Mark Kelly, Arizona
Ex officio
Roger Wicker, Mississippi John Thune, South Dakota	Jack Reed, Rhode Island Chuck Schumer, New York

Historical committee membership

118th Congress

Majority	Minority
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 Dakota
Ex officio
Jack Reed, Rhode Island Chuck Schumer, New York	Roger Wicker, Mississippi Mitch McConnell, Kentucky

117th Congress

Majority	Minority
Mark 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 York	Marco 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, Nebraska
Ex officio
Jack Reed, Rhode Island Chuck Schumer, New York	Jim Inhofe, Oklahoma Mitch McConnell, Kentucky

116th Congress

Majority	Minority
Richard Burr, North Carolina, Chair (until May 15, 2020) Marco Rubio, Florida, Acting Chair (from May 18, 2020) Jim Risch, Idaho Susan Collins, Maine Roy Blunt, Missouri Tom Cotton, Arkansas John Cornyn, Texas Ben Sasse, Nebraska	Mark Warner, Virginia, Vice Chair Dianne Feinstein, California Ron Wyden, Oregon Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Angus King, Maine Kamala Harris, California Michael Bennet, Colorado
Ex officio
Jim Inhofe, Oklahoma Mitch McConnell, Kentucky	Jack Reed, Rhode Island Chuck Schumer, New York

Source: Member list

115th Congress

Majority	Minority
Richard Burr, North Carolina, Chair Jim Risch, Idaho Marco Rubio, Florida Susan Collins, Maine Roy Blunt, Missouri James Lankford, Oklahoma Tom Cotton, Arkansas John Cornyn, Texas	Mark Warner, Virginia, Vice Chair Dianne Feinstein, California Ron Wyden, Oregon Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Angus King, Maine Joe Manchin, West Virginia Kamala Harris, California
Ex officio
Jim Inhofe, Oklahoma (from September 6, 2018) John McCain, Arizona (until August 25, 2018) Mitch McConnell, Kentucky	Jack Reed, Rhode Island Chuck Schumer, New York

Source: Member List

Chairs

Nº	Chair		Party		State	Term
1		Daniel Inouye		Democratic	Hawaii	1976–1979
2		Birch Bayh		Democratic	Indiana	1979–1981
3		Barry Goldwater		Republican	Arizona	1981–1985
4		David Durenberger		Republican	Minnesota	1985–1987
5		David Boren		Democratic	Oklahoma	1987–1993
6		Dennis DeConcini		Democratic	Arizona	1993–1995
7		Arlen Specter		Republican	Pennsylvania	1995–1997
8		Richard Shelby		Republican	Alabama	1997–2001
9		Bob Graham		Democratic	Florida	2001
10		Richard Shelby		Republican	Alabama	2001
11		Bob Graham		Democratic	Florida	2001–2003
12		Pat Roberts		Republican	Kansas	2003–2007
13		Jay Rockefeller		Democratic	West Virginia	2007–2009
14		Dianne Feinstein		Democratic	California	2009–2015
15		Richard Burr		Republican	North Carolina	2015–2020
16		Marco Rubio Acting		Republican	Florida	2020–2021
17		Mark Warner		Democratic	Virginia	2021–2025
18		Tom Cotton		Republican	Arkansas	2025–present

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

• Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture
• James R. Clapper § Testimony to Congress on NSA surveillance programs, 2013
• List of current United States Senate committees
• United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
• United States Senate Committee on Armed Services
• The Report (2019 film)

References

1. Snider, L. Britt (2008). The Agency & The Hill: CIA's Relationship with Congress, 1946-2004, Chapter 2 (PDF). CIA Center for the Study of Intelligence. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
2. Kaiser, Frederick (September 16, 2008). "Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Current Structure and Alternatives". Congressional Research Service. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
3. "Committee on Intelligence" from Riddick's Senate Procedure
4. "Rules of Procedure" (PDF). U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 31, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
5. "INOUYE, Daniel Ken - Biographical Information". United States Congress. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
6. Mazzetti, Mark; Shane, Scott (June 6, 2008). "Bush Overstated Iraq Evidence, Senators Report". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved June 17, 2008.
7. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (March 6, 2008). "Letter to Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell" (PDF). Retrieved April 14, 2008.
8. Senate Appropriations Committee (April 5, 2008). "Letter to Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell" (PDF). Retrieved April 14, 2008.
9. Ali Watkins. "Senate intelligence committee director denies NSA collects data on Americans' cellphone locations". McClatchy Washington Bureau.
10. "Statement on SSCI Vote for Declassification of Torture Report". OpenTheGovernment.org. April 3, 2014.
11. Tau, Byron (February 8, 2018). "Senate Intelligence Committee Writing Report on Election Vulnerabilities Ahead of Midterms". WSJ. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
12. 116th Congress, 1st Session. "Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election. Vol. 4: Review of the Intelligence Community Assessment with Additional Views" (PDF). www.intelligence.senate.gov. Retrieved April 21, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
13. Dilanian, Ken (April 21, 2020). "Bipartisan Senate report says 2017 intel assessment about Russian interference and Trump was accurate". NBC News. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
14. Johnson, Kevin; Phillips, Kristine (April 21, 2020). "Senate committee backs intelligence agencies' findings that Russia meddled in 2016 election". USA Today. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
15. Johnson, Kevin; Phillips, Kristine (April 21, 2020). "Senate committee backs intelligence agencies' findings that Russia meddled in 2016 election". USA Today. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
16. Knutson, Jacob (April 21, 2020). "Senate Intel affirms that Russia interfered to help Trump in 2016". Axios. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
17. Ming, Chang (June 7, 2018). "Former Senate staffer indicted for allegedly lying to FBI about contact with reporters". CNBC. Retrieved May 14, 2020. FBI officials involved in that leaks investigation approached the reporter, Ali Watkins, about a romantic relationship she had with Wolfe
18. Barrett, Devlin (May 14, 2020). "Sen. Richard Burr stepping aside as Intelligence Committee chair amid FBI investigation of his stock sales". Washington Post. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
19. Lesniewski, Niels (May 18, 2020). "Rubio named acting Senate Intelligence chairman". Roll Call. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
20. S.Res. 16 (119th Congress)
21. S.Res. 17 (119th Congress)
22. Angus King is an Independent, but caucuses with the Democrats.
23. S.Res. 30 (118th Congress)
24. S.Res. 31 (118th Congress)
25. "Majority Leader Schumer Announces New Senate Democratic Committee Assignments". Senate Democrats. October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
26. "Committee Members". U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
27. "115th Congress (2017-2018) | Intelligence Committee". www.intelligence.senate.gov. Retrieved January 5, 2017.

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
• Video (92:50): U.S. Congressional Hearing on UFO/UAP (May 17, 2022) on YouTube.