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.
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 |
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.