United States Senate Special Committee on Aging

Senate Aging Committee
Special Committee
; United States Senate ; 119th Congress
History
Formed	February 13, 1961
Leadership
Chair	Rick Scott (R) ; Since January 3, 2025
Ranking member	Kirsten Gillibrand (D) ; Since January 3, 2025
Structure
Political parties	Majority (8) Republican (8); Minority (6) Democratic (6);
Website
	https://www.aging.senate.gov/

Last updated August 22, 2025

The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging is a special committee in the United States Senate established on 1961. It was initially established as a temporary committee. It became a permanent Senate committee in 1977. As a special committee, it has no legislative authority, but it studies issues related to older Americans, particularly Medicare and Social Security.^[2]

Before the passage of Medicare, the committee was studying healthcare insurance coverage for elderly American citizens. The committee conducts oversight of the Medicare program, Social Security and the Older Americans Act. Some of the issues that have been examined by the committee include unacceptable conditions in nursing homes, protection from age discrimination, and pricing practices for prescription drugs.^[2]

Members, 119th Congress

Majority^[3]	Minority^[4]
Rick Scott, Florida, Chair Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania Jim Justice, West Virginia (from January 14, 2025) Tommy Tuberville, Alabama Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Jon Husted, Ohio (from January 24, 2025) Ashley Moody, Florida (from January 24, 2025)	Kirsten Gillibrand, New York, Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Mark Kelly, Arizona Raphael Warnock, Georgia Andy Kim, New Jersey Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland

Historical rosters

115th Congress

Majority	Minority
Susan Collins, Maine, Chair Orrin Hatch, Utah Jeff Flake, Arizona Tim Scott, South Carolina Thom Tillis, North Carolina Bob Corker, Tennessee Richard Burr, North Carolina Marco Rubio, Florida Deb Fischer, Nebraska	Bob Casey, Pennsylvania, Ranking Member Bill Nelson, Florida Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Joe Donnelly, Indiana Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada Doug Jones, Alabama

116th Congress

Majority	Minority
Susan Collins, Maine, Chair Tim Scott, South Carolina Richard Burr, North Carolina Martha McSally, Arizona (until December 2, 2020) Marco Rubio, Florida Josh Hawley, Missouri Mike Braun, Indiana Rick Scott, Florida	Bob Casey, Pennsylvania, Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Doug Jones, Alabama Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona Jacky Rosen, Nevada

117th Congress

Majority	Minority
Bob Casey, Pennsylvania, Chair Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Jacky Rosen, Nevada Mark Kelly, Arizona Raphael Warnock, Georgia	Tim Scott, South Carolina, Ranking Member Susan Collins, Maine Richard Burr, North Carolina Marco Rubio, Florida Mike Braun, Indiana Rick Scott, Florida Mike Lee, Utah

118th Congress

Majority^[5]	Minority^[6]
Bob Casey, Pennsylvania, Chair Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Mark Kelly, Arizona Raphael Warnock, Georgia John Fetterman, Pennsylvania	Mike Braun, Indiana, Ranking Member Tim Scott, South Carolina Marco Rubio, Florida Rick Scott, Florida JD Vance, Ohio Pete Ricketts, Nebraska

Chairs

Patrick V. McNamara (D-MI), 1961–1963
George Smathers (D-FL), 1963–1967
Harrison A. Williams (D-NJ), 1967–1971
Frank Church (D-ID), 1971–1979
Lawton Chiles (D-FL) 1979–1981
John Heinz (R-PA), 1981–1987
John Melcher (D-MT), 1987–1989
David Pryor (D-AR), 1989–1995
William Cohen (R-ME), 1995–1997
Charles Grassley (R-IA), 1997–2001
John Breaux (D-LA), 2001^[7]
Larry Craig (R-ID), 2001^[7]
John Breaux (D-LA), 2001–2003
Larry Craig (R-ID), 2003–2005
Gordon H. Smith (R-OR), 2005–2007
Herb Kohl (D-WI), 2007–2013
Bill Nelson (D-FL), 2013–2015
Susan Collins (R-ME), 2015–2021
Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA), 2021–2025
Rick Scott (R-FL), 2025–present

References

↑ "U.S. Senate. Special Committee on Aging. (2/13/1961 - )". National Archives Catalogue. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
1 2 "About the Aging Committee". U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. Archived from the original on January 31, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2005.
↑ S.Res. 16, S.Res. 26, S.Res. 38 (119th Congress)
↑ S.Res. 17 (119th Congress)
↑ S.Res. 30 (118th Congress)
↑ S.Res. 31 (118th Congress)
1 2 Pursuant to S.Res. 7 John Breaux served as chair from January 3, 2001 until noon on January 20, 2001. Larry Craig served as chair from noon on January 20, 2001 until June 6, 2001.

External links

Committee website

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[1] "U.S. Senate. Special Committee on Aging. (2/13/1961 - )". National Archives Catalogue. Retrieved 1 July 2024.

[charter-2] 1 2 "About the Aging Committee". U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. Archived from the original on January 31, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2005.

[3] S.Res. 16, S.Res. 26, S.Res. 38 (119th Congress)

[4] S.Res. 17 (119th Congress)

[5] S.Res. 30 (118th Congress)

[6] S.Res. 31 (118th Congress)

[chairs2001-7] 1 2 Pursuant to S.Res. 7 John Breaux served as chair from January 3, 2001 until noon on January 20, 2001. Larry Craig served as chair from noon on January 20, 2001 until June 6, 2001.

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