The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary (informally Senate Judiciary Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges (including Supreme Court justices) nominated by the president. In recent years, this role has made the committee increasingly a point of contention, with numerous party-line votes and standoffs over which judges should be approved. The committee also has a broad jurisdiction over matters relating to federal criminal law, as well as human rights, immigration law, intellectual property rights, antitrust law, and Internet privacy. It is also Senate procedure that all proposed Constitutional Amendments pass through the Judiciary Committee.
The committee is one of the oldest in the Senate. It was initially created in 1816.
Contents |
The Committee is chaired by Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont and the Ranking Member is Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
| Majority | Minority |
|---|---|
|
|
Source: 2011 Congressional Record, Vol. 157, Page S557
| Subcommittee | Chair | Ranking member |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Oversight and the Courts | Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) | Jeff Sessions (R-AL) |
| Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights | Herb Kohl (D-WI) | Mike Lee (R-UT) |
| The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights | Dick Durbin (D-IL) | Lindsey Graham (R-SC) |
| Crime and Terrorism | Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) | Jon Kyl (R-AZ) |
| Immigration, Refugees and Border Security | Chuck Schumer (D-NY) | John Cornyn (R-TX) |
| Privacy, Technology and the Law | Al Franken (D-MN) | Tom Coburn (R-OK) |