Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is one of the most powerful and prestigious committees in Congress. It oversees all aspects of U.S. foreign policy and international relations, including the authorization and oversight of foreign aid programs, arms sales to allies, and international economic policy. The committee has exclusive authority to review and report on treaties submitted by the President for Senate ratification, and it holds confirmation hearings for all diplomatic nominees, including ambassadors and senior State Department officials.

Bills referred to the committee follow a standard legislative process. Once a bill is referred, the committee can take it up during business meetings, where members debate and vote on amendments. The committee then reports bills to the full Senate for consideration on the floor. The committee also conducts oversight hearings on foreign policy issues and agency operations, including the State Department and USAID.

The committee is currently chaired by Senator James Risch (R-Idaho), with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) serving as Ranking Member. The 22-member committee is organized into nine subcommittees covering regional and functional areas: Africa and Global Health Policy, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Regional Security, Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions and International Economic Policy, Near East and South Asia, State Department and USAID Management, Western Hemisphere, and Transnational Crime and Human Rights.

Recent committee activity reflects broad engagement across foreign policy priorities. In early 2026, the committee advanced bipartisan Taiwan-related bills addressing energy security and undersea cable resilience. The committee has also considered legislation on Iran policy, sanctions enforcement, Middle East affairs, and UN reform. Business meetings in March and April 2026 included closed briefings on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Middle East developments, as well as hearings on nominations and arms control issues.