The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations, informally known as the Senate Appropriations Committee, is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committee in the U.S. Senate, with 30 members in the 117th Congress. Its role is defined by the U.S. Constitution, which requires "appropriations made by law" prior to the expenditure of any money from the Treasury, and the committee is therefore one of the most powerful committees in the Senate. The committee was first organized on March 6, 1867, when power over appropriations was taken out of the hands of the Finance Committee.

The chair of the Appropriations Committee has enormous power to bring home special projects (sometimes referred to as "pork barrel spending") for their state as well as having the final say on other senators' appropriation requests. For example, in fiscal year 2005, per capita federal spending in Alaska, the home state of Chair Ted Stevens, was $12,000, double the national average. Alaska has 11,772 special earmarked projects for a combined cost of $15,780,623,000. This represents about four percent of the overall spending in the $388 billion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 passed by Congress.

From 2001 to 2021, every Senate Majority Leader was a previous or concurrently serving member of the Appropriations Committee: Tom Daschle (committee member, 1991–1999; majority leader, 2001–2003), Bill Frist (committee member, 1995–2002; majority leader, 2003–2007), Harry Reid (committee member, 1989–2006; majority leader, 2007–2015), and Mitch McConnell (current committee member; majority leader, 2015–2021).

Appropriations process

The federal budget is divided into two main categories: discretionary spending and mandatory spending. Each appropriations subcommittee develops a draft appropriations bill covering each agency under its jurisdiction based on the Congressional Budget Resolution, which is drafted by an analogous Senate Budget committee. Each subcommittee must adhere to the spending limits set by the budget resolution and allocations set by the full Appropriations Committee, though the full Senate may vote to waive those limits if 60 senators vote to do so. The committee also reviews supplemental spending bills (covering unforeseen or emergency expenses not previously budgeted).

Each appropriations bill must be passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the president prior to the start of the federal fiscal year, October 1. If that target is not met, as has been common in recent years, the committee drafts a continuing resolution, which is then approved by Congress and signed by the president to keep the federal government operating until the individual bills are approved.

Jurisdiction In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects is referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations: Appropriation of the revenue for the support of the Government, except as provided in subparagraph (e); Rescission of appropriations contained in appropriation Acts (referred to in section 105 of title 1, United States Code); The amount of new spending authority described in section 401(c)(2) (A) and (B) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 which is to be effective for a fiscal year; and, New spending authority described in section 401(c)(2)(C) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 provided in bills and resolutions referred to the committee under section 401(b)(2) of that Act (but subject to the provisions of section 401(b)(3) of that Act).

Likewise, Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution, clearly vesting the power of the purse in Congress, states: "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law...and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time." This clause is the foundation for the congressional appropriations process and the fundamental source of the Senate Appropriations Committee's institutional power – as is the same with its counterpart in the lower house. In other words, Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution charges the United States Congress with the legislative duty of controlling government spending separate from the executive branch of government – a significant check and balance in the American constitutional system.

Members, 119th Congress

Majority, (119th Congress)Minority (119th Congress)Susan Collins, Maine, Chair Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Jerry Moran, Kansas John Hoeven, North Dakota John Boozman, Arkansas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia John Kennedy, Louisiana Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Katie Britt, Alabama Deb Fischer, Nebraska Mike Rounds, South Dakota Jon Husted, Ohio Darline Graham, South Carolina Patty Murray, Washington, Vice Chair Dick Durbin, Illinois Jack Reed, Rhode Island Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Jeff Merkley, Oregon Chris Coons, Delaware Brian Schatz, Hawaii Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Gary Peters, Michigan Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Jon Ossoff, Georgia

Subcommittees SubcommitteeChairRanking MemberAgriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related AgenciesJohn Hoeven (R-ND)Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related AgenciesJerry Moran (R-KS)Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)DefenseMitch McConnell (R-KY)Chris Coons (D-DE)Energy and Water DevelopmentJohn Kennedy (R-LA)Patty Murray (D-WA) Financial Services and General GovernmentBill Hagerty (R-TN)Jack Reed (D-RI)Homeland SecurityKatie Britt (R-AL)Chris Murphy (D-CT)Interior, Environment, and Related AgenciesLisa Murkowski (R-AK)Jeff Merkley (D-OR)Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related AgenciesShelley Moore Capito (R-WV)Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)Legislative BranchMarkwayne Mullin (R-OK) (until March 23, 2026)Deb Fischer (R-NE) (from March 27, 2026)Martin Heinrich (D-NM)Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related AgenciesJohn Boozman (R-AR)Jon Ossoff (D-GA)State, Foreign Operations, and Related ProgramsLindsey Graham (R-SC) (until July 11, 2026)Susan Collins (R-ME) (interim from July 22, 2026)Brian Schatz (D-HI)Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related AgenciesCindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

Committee reorganization during the 110th Congress At the outset of the 110th Congress, Chair Robert Byrd and Chair Dave Obey, his counterpart on the House Appropriations Committee, developed a committee reorganization plan that provided for common subcommittee structures between both houses, a move that both the chairs hope will allow Congress to "complete action on each of the government funding on time for the first time since 1994." The subcommittees were last overhauled between the 107th and 108th Congresses, after the creation of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security and again during the 109th Congress, when the number of subcommittees was reduced from 13 to 12.

A key part of the new subcommittee organization was the establishment of a new Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, which consolidates funding for the Treasury Department, the United States federal judiciary, and the District of Columbia. These functions were previously handled by two separate Senate subcommittees.

Committee leadership

Former chairs and vice chairs are listed below.

+ ChairsNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanME18671869RepublicanME1869Died September 8, 1869.RepublicanME18691871RepublicanCA18711873RepublicanME18731876Resigned July 7, 1876.RepublicanMN18761879DemocraticWV18791881RepublicanIA18811893DemocraticMO18931895RepublicanIA18951908Died August 4, 1908.RepublicanME19081911RepublicanWY19111913DemocraticVA19131919RepublicanWY19191929RepublicanWA19291932RepublicanME19321933DemocraticVA19331946Died May 28, 1946.DemocraticTN19461947RepublicanNH19471949DemocraticTN19491953RepublicanNH19531955DemocraticAZ19551969DemocraticGA19691971Died January 21, 1971.DemocraticLA19711972Died July 27, 1972.DemocraticAR19721977Died November 28, 1977.DemocraticWA19771981RepublicanOR19811987DemocraticMS19871989DemocraticWV19891995RepublicanOR19951997RepublicanAK19972001DemocraticWV2001At 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.RepublicanAK2001DemocraticWV2001On June 6, 2001, the Democrats took control of the Senate after Senator James Jeffords (VT) switched from the Republican Party to Independent and announced that he would caucus with the Democrats.2003RepublicanAK20032005RepublicanMS20052007DemocraticWV20072009DemocraticHI20092012Died December 17, 2012.DemocraticMD20122015RepublicanMS20152018Resigned April 1, 2018.RepublicanAL20182021DemocraticVT20212023DemocraticWA20232025RepublicanME2025present + Vice ChairsNamePartyStateStartEndRepublicanCA18671869RepublicanRI18691871RepublicanMN18711873RepublicanIA18731875DemocraticAR18751877DemocraticWV18771879RepublicanMN18791881DemocraticWV18811883DemocraticKY18831889DemocraticMO18891893RepublicanIA18931895DemocraticMO18951905DemocraticCO19051909DemocraticSC19091913RepublicanWY19131919DemocraticNC19191930Died December 12, 1930.DemocraticGA19311932Died April 18, 1932.DemocraticVA19321933RepublicanME19331941RepublicanND19411945RepublicanNH19451947DemocraticTN19471949RepublicanNH19491953DemocraticAZ19531955RepublicanNH19551961Died on November 26, 1961.RepublicanMA19611967RepublicanND19671981DemocraticWI19811983DemocraticMS19831987RepublicanOR19871995DemocraticWV19952001RepublicanAK2001DemocraticWV2001RepublicanAK20012003DemocraticWV20032007RepublicanMS20072013RepublicanAL20132015DemocraticMD20152017DemocraticVT20172021RepublicanAL20212023RepublicanME20232025DemocraticWA2025present

Historical membership rosters 118th Congress

Majority (118th Congress)Minority (118th Congress)Patty Murray, Washington, Chair Dianne Feinstein, California (until September 29, 2023) Dick Durbin, Illinois Jack Reed, Rhode Island Jon Tester, Montana Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Jeff Merkley, Oregon Chris Coons, Delaware Brian Schatz, Hawaii Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Joe Manchin, West Virginia Joe Manchin is an independent but caucuses with the Democrats. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Martin Heinrich, New Mexico Gary Peters, Michigan Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona (from October 17, 2023)Kyrsten Sinema is an independent but caucuses with the Democrats.Susan Collins, Maine, Vice Chair Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Jerry Moran, Kansas John Hoeven, North Dakota John Boozman, Arkansas Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia John Kennedy, Louisiana Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Bill Hagerty, Tennessee Katie Britt, Alabama Marco Rubio, Florida Deb Fischer, Nebraska

117th Congress

MajorityMinorityPatrick Leahy, Vermont, Chair Patty Murray, Washington Dianne Feinstein, California Dick Durbin, Illinois Jack Reed, Rhode Island Jon Tester, Montana Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Jeff Merkley, Oregon Chris Coons, Delaware Brian Schatz, Hawaii Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Chris Murphy, Connecticut Joe Manchin, West Virginia Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Martin Heinrich, New MexicoRichard Shelby, Alabama, Vice Chair Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Susan Collins, Maine