House Select Committee on Homeland Security: A Fact Sheet

RS21431 -- House Select Committee on Homeland Security: A Fact Sheet

Updated October 4, 2004

Summary

On January 7, 2003, the House created a Select Committee on Homeland Security. The panel is granted legislative and oversight jurisdiction over the newly created Department of Homeland Security. It is also mandated to study House rules, including Rule X, as they apply to homeland security matters and recommend changes to the House Rules Committee no later than September 30, 2004. The Homeland Security Committee's report was released and sent to the Rules Committee on September 30, 2004. For options on committee organization, see CRS Report RS21360, Department of Homeland Security: Options for House and Senate Committee Organization and CRS Report RS21643, House Committee System: Jurisdiction and Referral Reform Options. This fact sheet will be updated as events warrant.

Creation. On January 7, 2003, pursuant to H.Res. 5, the House created the Select Committee on Homeland Security. ⁽¹⁾ The resolution grants the panel jurisdiction over matters related to the Homeland Security Act (P.L. 107-296), as well as jurisdiction over the new Department of Homeland Security. The resolution further authorizes the select committee to conduct a "thorough and complete study of the operation and implementation of the rules of the House, including Rule X, with respect to the issue of homeland security" and to recommend changes to the Rules Committee no later than September 30, 2004. The Homeland Security Committee's report was released and sent to the Rules Committee on September 30, 2004. ⁽²⁾

Membership. On February 12, 2003, the Speaker and Minority Leader announced their appointments to the select committee. The committee has 27 Republican ⁽³⁾ and 23 Democratic members. Representative Christopher Cox and Representative Jim Turner had previously been designated chair and ranking minority member, respectively.

In order to comply with House and respective party rules limiting committee assignments, 13 Democratic Members and three Republican Members will take leaves of absence from other committees on which they serve. Listed at the end of this report are the members of the select committee, as well as designation of their other committee assignment(s), and chairmanship or ranking position, if applicable. If the committee from which a member is planning to take a leave of absence is known, it is noted. (Some Members have inserted letters of intent in the February 12, 2003 Congressional Record.)

Staff and Funding. Chairman Cox and ranking member Turner asked for $700,000 in "seed money" to begin operations of the panel, including staff salaries, office equipment, and computers. On February 13, 2003, the House agreed to H.Res. 77, providing such interim funding. Additional funding of $11,028,787 for the remainder of the 108th Congress was provided pursuant to H.Res. 110, agreed to May 8, 2003.

Subcommittees. The select committee created four policy subcommittees: Infrastucture and Border Security; Emergency Preparedness and Response; Cybersecurity, Science, and Research and Development; and Intelligence and Counterterrorism. A fifth Subcommittee on Rules, was also created to review House committee jurisdiction over Homeland Security.

Republican Members 
Other Committee Assignment(s) 
Democratic Members 
Other Committee Assignment(s) 

Christopher Cox, chair
Energy and Commerce
Jim Turner, ranking member
Armed Services

Jennifer Dunn, vice chair
Ways and Means
Bennie Thompson
Agriculture

C.W. Bill Young
Appropriations (chair)
Loretta Sanchez
Armed Services
Education and the Workforce (on leave)

Don Young
Resources
Transportation and Infrastructure (chair)
Edward Markey
Energy and Commerce
Resources (on leave)

F. James Sensenbrenner
Judiciary (chair)
Norman Dicks
Appropriations

David Dreier
Rules (chair)
Barney Frank
Financial Services (ranking member)

Duncan Hunter
Armed Services (chair)
Jane Harman
Intelligence (ranking member)

Harold Rogers
Appropriations, Subcommittee on Homeland Security, chair
Benjamin Cardin
Ways and Means

Sherwood Boehlert
Science (chair)
Transportation and Infrastructure
Intelligence
Louise Slaughter
Rules

Joe Barton (appointed Apr. 2004 to replace W.J. "Billy" Tauzin)
Energy and Commerce (chair)
Peter DeFazio
Transportation and Infrastructure
Resources (on leave)

Lamar Smith
Judiciary
Science
Robert Andrews
Armed Services
(on leave)
Education and the Workforce

Curt Weldon
Armed Services
Science
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Government Reform (on leave)
Transportation and Infrastructure

Christopher Shays
Budget
Financial Services
Government Reform
Science (on leave)
Nita Lowey
Appropriations

Dave Camp
Ways and Means
Zoe Lofgren
Judiciary
Science (on leave)

Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Rules
Karen McCarthy
Energy and Commerce

Robert Goodlatte
Agriculture (chair)
Judiciary
Sheila Jackson-Lee
Judiciary
Science

Ernest Istook
Appropriations
Bill Pascrell
Small Business
(on leave)
Transportation and Infrastructure

Peter King
Financial Services
International Relations
Donna Christensen
Resources
Small Business
(on leave)

John Linder
House Administration
Rules
Bob Etheridge
Agriculture
Science (on leave)

Porter Goss
(resigned from the House, Sept. 23, 2004)
Intelligence (chair)
Rules
Ken Lucas
Agriculture
(on leave)
Financial Services

John Shadegg
Energy and Commerce
Financial Services
James Langevin
Armed Services
Small Business
(on leave)

Mark Souder
Education and the Workforce
(on leave)
Government Reform
Science
Kendrick Meek
Armed Services
Budget (on leave)

Mac Thornberry
Armed Services
Budget
Ben Chandler
(Charles Gonzalez served until Mar. 2004)
Agriculture
International Affairs

Jim Gibbons
Armed Services
Resources
Veterans Affairs
(on leave)
Intelligence

Kay Granger
Appropriations

Pete Sessions
Rules

John Sweeney
Appropriations

Footnotes

1. (back) For information on other changes affecting the committee system, see CRS Report RS21382(pdf), Committee System Rules Changes in the House, 108th Congress.

2. (back)Full-text of the report at http://homelandsecurity.house.gov/files/reccomendationsreport.pdf.

3. (back)Representative Porter Goss resigned from the House on Sept. 23, 20004, bringing the number of Republicans to 26.