United States Senate Committee on the Budget

Senate Budget Committee

Standing committee
Active United States Senate 119th Congress
History
Formed	1974
Leadership
Chair	Lindsey Graham (R) Since January 3, 2025
Ranking member	Jeff Merkley (D) Since January 3, 2025
Structure
Seats	21
Political parties	Majority (11)   Republican (11) Minority (10)   Democratic (9)   Independent (1)
Jurisdiction
Policy areas	Budgetary policy and process, Fiscal policy, Government spending, Public debt, Tax expenditures
Oversight authority	Congressional Budget Office
House counterpart	House Budget Committee
Meeting place
608 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
Website
www.budget.senate.gov
Rules
Rules of the Committee on the Budget

The United States Senate Committee on the Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal Government. The committee has jurisdiction over the Congressional Budget Office. The committee briefly operated as a special committee from 1919 to 1920 during the 66th Congress, before being made a standing committee in 1974. ^[1]

The current Chair is South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, and the Ranking Member is Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley.

Contrasted with other committees

The Budget Committee should not be confused with the Finance Committee and the Appropriations Committee, both of which have different jurisdictions: The Finance Committee is analogous to the Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives; it has legislative jurisdiction in the areas of taxes, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and some other entitlements. The Appropriations Committee has legislative jurisdiction over appropriations bills, which provide funding for government programs.

While the budget resolution prepared by the Budget Committee sets out a broad blueprint for the Congress with respect to the total levels of revenues and spending for the government as a whole, these other Committees prepare bills for specific tax and spending policies.

119th Congress

Main article: 119th United States Congress

Majority [2]	Minority [3]
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, Chair Chuck Grassley, Iowa Mike Crapo, Idaho Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Roger Marshall, Kansas John Cornyn, Texas Mike Lee, Utah John Kennedy, Louisiana Pete Ricketts, Nebraska Bernie Moreno, Ohio Rick Scott, Florida	Jeff Merkley, Oregon, Ranking Member Patty Murray, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Bernie Sanders, Vermont [a] Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Mark Warner, Virginia Tim Kaine, Virginia Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico Alex Padilla, California

Chairs, 1975–present

Name	Party		State	Start	End
Edmund Muskie		Democratic	Maine	1975	1980
Fritz Hollings		Democratic	South Carolina	1980	1981
Pete Domenici		Republican	New Mexico	1981	1987
Lawton Chiles		Democratic	Florida	1987	1989
Jim Sasser		Democratic	Tennessee	1989	1995
Pete Domenici		Republican	New Mexico	1995	2001
Kent Conrad		Democratic	North Dakota	2001 [b]
Pete Domenici		Republican	New Mexico	2001
Kent Conrad		Democratic	North Dakota	2001 [c]	2003
Don Nickles		Republican	Oklahoma	2003	2005
Judd Gregg		Republican	New Hampshire	2005	2007
Kent Conrad		Democratic	North Dakota	2007	2013
Patty Murray		Democratic	Washington	2013	2015
Mike Enzi		Republican	Wyoming	2015	2021
Bernie Sanders		Independent [a]	Vermont	2021	2023
Sheldon Whitehouse		Democratic	Rhode Island	2023	2025
Lindsey Graham		Republican	South Carolina	2025	present

Ranking Members

Name	Party		State	Start	End
Peter Dominick		Republican	Colorado	1974	1975
Henry Bellmon		Republican	Oklahoma	1975	1981
Fritz Hollings		Democratic	South Carolina	1981	1983
Lawton Chiles		Democratic	Florida	1983	1987
Pete Domenici		Republican	New Mexico	1987	1995
James Exon		Democratic	Nebraska	1995	1997
Frank Lautenberg		Democratic	New Jersey	1997	2001
Pete Domenici		Republican	New Mexico	2001	2003
Kent Conrad		Democratic	North Dakota	2003	2007
Judd Gregg		Republican	New Hampshire	2007	2011
Jeff Sessions		Republican	Alabama	2011	2015
Bernie Sanders		Independent [a]	Vermont	2015	2021
Lindsey Graham		Republican	South Carolina	2021	2023
Chuck Grassley		Republican	Iowa	2023	2025
Jeff Merkley		Democratic	Oregon	2025	present

Historical membership rosters

118th Congress

Main article: 118th United States Congress

Majority [4]	Minority [5]
Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island, Chair Patty Murray, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Bernie Sanders, Vermont [a] Mark Warner, Virginia Jeff Merkley, Oregon Tim Kaine, Virginia Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico Alex Padilla, California	Chuck Grassley, Iowa, Ranking Member Mike Crapo, Idaho Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Mitt Romney, Utah Roger Marshall, Kansas Mike Braun, Indiana John Kennedy, Louisiana Rick Scott, Florida Mike Lee, Utah

117th Congress

Main article: 117th United States Congress

Majority	Minority
Bernie Sanders, Vermont [a] , Chair Patty Murray, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Mark Warner, Virginia Jeff Merkley, Oregon Tim Kaine, Virginia Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico Alex Padilla, California	Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, Iowa Mike Crapo, Idaho Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Mike Braun, Indiana Rick Scott, Florida Ben Sasse, Nebraska Mitt Romney, Utah John Kennedy, Louisiana Kevin Cramer, North Dakota

Source: ^[6]

116th Congress

Main article: 116th United States Congress

Majority	Minority
Mike Enzi, Wyoming, Chair Chuck Grassley, Iowa Mike Crapo, Idaho Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania Ron Johnson, Wisconsin David Perdue, Georgia Mike Braun, Indiana Rick Scott, Florida John Kennedy, Louisiana Kevin Cramer, North Dakota	Bernie Sanders, Vermont, [a] Ranking Member Patty Murray, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Mark Warner, Virginia Jeff Merkley, Oregon Tim Kaine, Virginia Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Kamala Harris, California

115th Congress

Majority	Minority
Mike Enzi, Wyoming, Chair Chuck Grassley, Iowa Mike Crapo, Idaho Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Bob Corker, Tennessee David Perdue, Georgia Cory Gardner, Colorado John Kennedy, Louisiana John Boozman, Arkansas Tom Cotton, Arkansas	Bernie Sanders, Vermont, [a] Ranking Member Patty Murray, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Mark Warner, Virginia Jeff Merkley, Oregon Tim Kaine, Virginia Angus King, Maine [a] Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Kamala Harris, California

114th Congress

Majority	Minority
Mike Enzi, Wyoming, Chair Chuck Grassley, Iowa Mike Crapo, Idaho Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Bob Corker, Tennessee David Perdue, Georgia Cory Gardner, Colorado John Kennedy, Louisiana John Boozman, Arkansas Luther Strange, Alabama	Bernie Sanders, Vermont, [a] Ranking Member Patty Murray, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Mark Warner, Virginia Jeff Merkley, Oregon Tammy Baldwin Tim Kaine, Virginia Angus King, Maine [a]

113th Congress

Majority	Minority
Patty Murray, Washington, Chair Ron Wyden, Oregon Bill Nelson, Florida Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Bernie Sanders, Vermont [a] Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Mark Warner, Virginia Jeff Merkley, Oregon Chris Coons, Delaware Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Tim Kaine, Virginia Angus King, Maine [a]	Jeff Sessions, Alabama, Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, Iowa Mike Enzi, Wyoming Mike Crapo, Idaho Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Rob Portman, Ohio Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire Roger Wicker, Mississippi

112th Congress

Majority	Minority
Kent Conrad, North Dakota, Chair Patty Murray, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Bill Nelson, Florida Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Ben Cardin, Maryland Bernie Sanders, Vermont [a] Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Mark Warner, Virginia Jeff Merkley, Oregon Mark Begich, Alaska Chris Coons, Delaware	Jeff Sessions, Alabama, Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, Iowa Mike Enzi, Wyoming Mike Crapo, Idaho Lindsey Graham, South Carolina John Thune, South Dakota Rob Portman, Ohio Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire

111th Congress

Majority	Minority
Kent Conrad, North Dakota, Chair Patty Murray, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Russ Feingold, Wisconsin Robert Byrd, West Virginia Bill Nelson, Florida Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Bob Menendez, New Jersey Ben Cardin, Maryland Bernie Sanders, Vermont [a] Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Mark Warner, Virginia Jeff Merkley, Oregon	Judd Gregg, New Hampshire, Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, Iowa Mike Enzi, Wyoming Jeff Sessions, Alabama Jim Bunning, Kentucky Mike Crapo, Idaho John Ensign, Nevada John Cornyn, Texas Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Lamar Alexander, Tennessee

110th Congress

Majority	Minority
Kent Conrad, North Dakota, Chair Patty Murray, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Russ Feingold, Wisconsin Robert Byrd, West Virginia Bill Nelson, Florida Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Bob Menendez, New Jersey Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey Ben Cardin, Maryland Bernie Sanders, Vermont [a] Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island	Judd Gregg, New Hampshire, Ranking Member Pete Domenici, New Mexico Chuck Grassley, Iowa Wayne Allard, Colorado Mike Enzi, Wyoming Jeff Sessions, Alabama Jim Bunning, Kentucky Mike Crapo, Idaho John Ensign, Nevada John Cornyn, Texas Lindsey Graham, South Carolina

109th Congress

Majority	Minority
Judd Gregg, New Hampshire, Chair Pete Domenici, New Mexico Chuck Grassley, Iowa Wayne Allard, Colorado Mike Enzi, Wyoming Jeff Sessions, Alabama Jim Bunning, Kentucky Mike Crapo, Idaho John Ensign, Nevada John Cornyn, Texas Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Lindsey Graham, South Carolina	Kent Conrad, North Dakota, Ranking Member Paul Sarbanes, Maryland Patty Murray, Washington Ron Wyden, Oregon Russ Feingold, Wisconsin Tim Johnson, South Dakota Robert Byrd, West Virginia Bill Nelson, Florida Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Bob Menendez, New Jersey

Notes

1. Senator is formally an independent but caucuses with the Democrats.
2. At the beginning of the 107th Congress in January 2001 the Senate was evenly divided. With a Democratic president and vice president still serving until January 20, the Democratic vice president was available to break a tie, and the Democrats thus controlled the Senate for 17 days, from January 3 to January 20. On January 3 the Senate adopted S. Res. 7 designating Democratic senators as committee chairs to serve during this period and Republican chairs to serve effective at noon on January 20, 2001.
3. On June 6, 2001, the Democrats took control of the Senate after Senator James Jeffords (VT) changed from the Republican Party to Independent and announced that he would caucus with the Democrats.

References

1. Walter Stubbs (1985), Congressional Committees, 1789–1982: A Checklist, Greenwood Press, pp. 16–17
2. S.Res. 16 (119th Congress)
3. S.Res. 17 (119th Congress)
4. S.Res. 30 (118th Congress)
5. S.Res. 31 (118th Congress)
6. "Committee Members | U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget".

External links

• Official website (Archive)
• Senate Budget Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.
• Committee on the Budget, United States Senate, 1974-2006. Senate Document 109-24. 109th Congress, 2nd session, 2006.