Crime and Counterterrorism

The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee. As a subcommittee, it conducts initial hearings and reviews legislation within its specialized jurisdiction before matters can be reported to the full committee for floor consideration. This division of labor allows the full committee to manage its broad responsibilities more efficiently by having subcommittees develop expertise in narrower policy areas.

The subcommittee's jurisdiction covers a wide range of federal criminal justice matters. It oversees multiple Department of Justice agencies including the Criminal Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Prisons, and the Office on Violence Against Women. The subcommittee also handles youth violence, federal juvenile justice programs, criminal justice and victims' rights policy, sentencing matters, and drug policy enforcement.

The subcommittee is chaired by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), with Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) serving as Ranking Member. The 11-member panel includes both Republicans and Democrats who work together to examine federal law enforcement priorities and criminal justice policy. Recent hearings have addressed emerging issues including the harms of artificial intelligence chatbots, child sexual abuse material online, copyright infringement in AI training, and oversight of major technology companies' practices affecting public safety.