Committee Histories

These histories are compiled by the committee and generally include information on the 

membership, jurisdiction, and important legislative issues the committee has handled. Histories 

are listed under the committee’s current name, unless that committee no longer exists.

Senate 

AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES COMMITTEE

Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, United States Senate: Tenth Anniversary 1958-

1968. Senate Document 90-116. 90th Congress, 2nd Session, 1968.

Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, United States Senate: 1958-1976. Senate 

Committee Print of December 30, 1976. 94th Congress, 2nd session, 1976.

AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY COMMITTEE

A Brief History of the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, United States Senate and 

Landmark Agricultural Legislation, 1825-1970. Senate Document 91-107. 91st Congress, 2nd

session, 1970.

A Brief History of the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, United States Senate and 

Landmark Agricultural Legislation, 1825-1986. Senate Committee Print 99-213. 99th Congress, 

2

nd session, 1986. 

The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry 1825-1998: 

Members, Jurisdiction and History. Senate Document 105-24. 105th Congress, 2nd session, 1998.

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

Committee on Appropriations, 100th Anniversary, 1867-1967. Senate Document 90-21. 90th

Congress, 1st session, 1967. 

Committee on Appropriations, 126th Anniversary, 1867-1993. Senate Document 103-17. 103rd

Congress, 1st session, 1993.

Committee on Appropriations, 135th Anniversary, 1867-2002. Senate Document 107-13. 107th 

Congress, 2nd session, 2002.

Committee on Appropriations, 138th Anniversary, 1867-2005. Senate Document 109-5. 109th

Congress, 1st session, 2005.

Committee on Appropriations, 1867-2008. Senate Document 110-14. 110th Congress, 2nd 

session, 2008.
BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Committee on Banking and Currency, 50th Anniversary, 1913-1963. Senate Document 88-15. 

88th Congress, 1st session, 1963. 

BUDGET

Committee on the Budget, United States Senate, 1974-2006. Senate Document 109-24. 109th

Congress, 2nd session, 2006.

COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

History, Membership and Jurisdiction of the Senate Committee on Commerce, 1816-1966. 

Senate Document 89-100. 89th Congress, 2nd session, 1966.

A Brief History of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Its 

Activities since 1947. Senate Document 95-93. 95th Congress, 2nd session, 1978.

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

History of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 1816-1988. Senate Document 100-

46. 100th Congress, 2nd session, 1988.

ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

History of the Committee on Environment and Public Works. Senate Document 100-45. 100th

Congress, 2nd session, 1988.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

History of the Committee on Finance. Senate Document 91-57. 91st Congress, 2nd session, 1970.

History of the Committee on Finance. Senate Document 93-9. 93rd Congress, 1st session, 1973.

History of the Committee on Finance. Senate Document 95-27. 95th Congress, 1st session, 1977.

Addendum to the History of the Committee on Finance. Senate Committee Print 96-2. 96th

Congress, 1st session, 1979.

History of the Committee on Finance. Senate Document 97-5. 97th Congress, 1st session, 1981.

FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

Background Information on the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate. Senate 

Committee Print. 89th Congress, 2nd session, 1966.

Committee on Foreign Relations, 160th Anniversary, 1816-1976. Senate Document 94-265. 94th

Congress, 2nd session, 1976.

Background Information on the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate. Senate 

Document 97-30. 97th Congress, 2nd session, 1982.
Committee on Foreign Relations, 170th Anniversary, 1816-1986. Senate Document 99-21. 99th

Congress, 2nd session, 1986.

Committee on Foreign Relations, Millennium Edition, 1816-2000. Senate Document 105-28. 

105th Congress, 2nd session, 2000.

HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS COMMITTEE

Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, United States Senate, 100th Anniversary, 1869-1969. 

Senate Document 90-108. 90th Congress, 2nd session, 1968.

History of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, 1869-1979. Senate Document 96-71. 

96th Congress, 2nd session, 1980.

HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Committee on Government Operations, United States Senate, 50th Anniversary, 1921-1971. 

Senate Document 92-31. 92nd Congress, 1st session, 1971.

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

History of the Committee on the Judiciary together with Chairmen and Members Assigned 

Thereto 1816-1962. Senate Committee Print. 87th Congress, 2nd session, 1962.

History of the Committee on the Judiciary together with Chairmen and Members Assigned 

Thereto 1816-1966. Senate Committee Print. 89th Congress, 2nd session, 1966.

History of the Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate. Senate Document 90-78. 90th

Congress, 2

nd session, 1968. 

History of the Committee on the Judiciary, 1816-1976. Senate Document 94-227. 94th

Congress, 2nd session, 1976.

History of the Committee on the Judiciary, 1816-1981. Senate Document 97-18. 97th Congress, 

2

nd session, 1982.

NUTRITION AND HUMAN NEEDS (SELECT) COMMITTEE

Legislative History of the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs. Senate Committee 

Print of October 1976. 94th Congress, 2nd session, 1976.

RULES AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE

History of the Committee on Rules and Administration, United States Senate. Senate Document 

96-27. 96th Congress, 1st session, 1980.
House 

AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE

United States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture 150th Anniversary. House 

Document 91-350. 91st Congress, 2nd session, 1970.

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

A History of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives. House Document 77-

299. 77th Congress, 1st session, 1941.

A Concise History of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations. House 

Committee Print. 111th Congress, 2nd session, 2010.

ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE

Historical Data Regarding the Creation and Jurisdiction of the Committee on Interstate and 

Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives. House Committee Print. 92nd Congress, 1st

session, 1971. 

180 Years of Service: A Brief History of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 

U.S. House of Representatives. House Committee Print of December 1975. 

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

History of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. House Document 

80-366. 80th Congress, 1

st session, 1947.

History of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. House Committee 

Print of November 1965. 89th Congress, 1st session, 1965. 

History of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. House Committee 

Print of February 1972. 92nd Congress, 2nd session, 1972.

History of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. House Committee 

Print of February 1982, Serial No. 15. 97th Congress, 2nd session, 1982. 

A History of the Committee on the Judiciary, 1813-2006. House Document 109-153. 109th

Congress, 1st session, 2007. 
NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Historical Information of the Committee on Resources and Its Predecessor Committees, 1807-

2002: Preparation for a Bicentennial. House Committee Print 107-G. 107th Congress, 2nd

session, 2002.

RULES COMMITTEE

A History of the Committee on Rules: 1

st to 97th Congress, 1789-1981. House Committee Print. 

97th Congress, 2nd session, 1982.

SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

Toward the Endless Frontier: History of the Committee on Science and Technology, 1959-1979. 

House Committee Print. 1980. 

A History of the Committee on Science and Technology, 85th-110th Congresses, 1958-2008. 

House Committee Print. 110th Congress, 2nd session, 2008.

SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE

A History and Accomplishments of the Permanent Select Committee on Small Business, House of 

Representatives of the United States, 77th to 92nd Congresses, 1941-1972. House Document 93-

197. 93rd Congress, 2nd session, 1974.

TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE

1883 to Present: Structure and Function of the Committee on Public Works, U.S. House of 

Representatives. House Committee Print 93-48. 93rd Congress, 2nd session, 1974.

VETERANS’ AFFAIRS

History of House Committees Considering Veterans' Legislation. House Committee Print 97-93. 

97th Congress, 2nd session, 1982.

History of House Committees Considering Veterans' Legislation. House Committee Print 98-3. 

98th Congress, 1st session, 1983.

History of House Committees Considering Veterans' Legislation. House Committee Print 101-5. 

101st Congress, 2nd session, 1990.

WAYS AND MEANS

The Committee on Ways and Means, A Bicentennial History 1789-1989. House Document 100-

244. 100th Congress, 2nd session, 1988.
Joint, Policy, and Other Committee Histories

Current Membership of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, Congress of the United States: 

Joint Committee on Atomic Energy Membership, Publications, and Other Pertinent Information 

Through the 94th Congress, 1st Session. Joint Committee Print of March 1976. 94th Congress, 

2

nd session, 1976.

Guidelines for the Establishment of Select Committees. Committee on Rules, Subcommittee on 

the Legislative Process, U.S. House of Representatives. House Subcommittee Print. See pages 

31-97 for a section called “Select Committees of the U.S. House of Representatives: 1947-1982.”

A History of the Democratic Policy Committee, 1947-2007. Prepared by the Senate Democratic 

Policy Committee with the assistance of the Senate Historical Office. 2007. 

A History of the United States Senate Republican Policy Committee, 1947-1997. Senate 

Document 105-5. 105th Congress, 1st session, 1997. 

The Joint Committee on Congressional Operations: Purpose, Legislative History, Jurisdiction, 

and Rules. House Document 92-187. 92nd Congress, 1st session, 1972.