Shaheen, Jeanne

Jeanne Shaheen serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, a position that gives her significant power to shape the minority party's agenda on diplomacy, international security, and foreign policy. As ranking member, she leads Democratic opposition to the majority party's foreign policy initiatives, conducts oversight hearings, and advances alternative legislation on matters ranging from arms control to international alliances. The Foreign Relations Committee oversees the State Department, U.S. diplomatic personnel, foreign assistance, and America's relationships with other nations—work that directly affects national security and economic interests.

Shaheen brings substantial experience to this role. She is the first woman in American history to be elected both governor and U.S. senator. Before entering the Senate in 2009, she served as New Hampshire's governor from 1997 to 2003, where she balanced budgets, expanded healthcare access, and championed education and energy efficiency. She also served as director of Harvard University's Institute of Politics. Her background as an educator and executive, combined with her prior service on the Armed Services Committee, gives her credibility on defense and security matters.

As ranking member, Shaheen has actively shaped committee work through oversight hearings and legislative initiatives. She has led efforts to strengthen U.S. alliances, particularly with NATO and Taiwan, and has advanced bipartisan legislation on arms control, sanctions against Russia, and women's rights in foreign policy. She has also conducted rigorous oversight of the State Department, questioning nominees and pressing administration officials on diplomatic preparedness and resource allocation. Her work reflects a focus on international security, women's empowerment globally, and the protection of democratic institutions.

Shaheen is widely regarded as a pragmatic moderate Democrat who works across the aisle. Throughout her career, she has championed women's rights, health care access, and fiscal responsibility. She authored the Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act and has been a consistent advocate for expanding opportunities for women in conflict resolution and peace negotiations. In the Senate, she has also prioritized addressing the opioid crisis in New Hampshire and supporting the state's defense industry, particularly the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.