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About the Committee
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Committee Jurisdiction

In addition to its critical role in providing oversight of the Department of Justice and the agencies under the Department's jurisdiction, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security, the Judiciary Committee plays an important role in the consideration of nominations and pending legislation.

Executive nominations for positions in the Department of Justice, Office of National Drug Control Policy, the United States Parole Commission, the United States Sentencing Commission, and the State Justice Institute, as well as select nominations for the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Commerce are referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Judiciary Committee is also charged with the consideration of all Article III judicial nominations.  These include Supreme Court nominations, appellate court nominations, and district court nominations.  The Committee also considers nominations to the Court of International Trade.

In addition to its role in conducting oversight and consideration of nominations, the Senate Judiciary Committee also considers legislation, resolutions, messages, petitions, memorials and other matters, as provided for in the Standing Rules of the Senate.  These areas include:

  • Apportionment of Representatives
  • Bankruptcy, mutiny, espionage, and counterfeiting
  • Civil liberties
  • Constitutional amendments
  • Federal courts and judges
  • Government information
  • Holidays and celebrations
  • Immigration and naturalization
  • Interstate compacts generally
  • Judicial proceedings, civil and criminal, generally
  • Local courts in territories and possessions
  • Measures relating to claims against the United States
  • National penitentiaries
  • Patent Office
  • Patents, copyrights, and trademarks
  • Protection of trade and commerce against unlawful restraints and monopolies
  • Revision and codification of the statutes of the United States
  • State and territorial boundary lines
noteworthy

Did You Know?  The U.S. Courts of Appeals were the first federal courts designed exclusively to hear cases on appeal from trial courts.  In an effort to relieve the caseload burden in the Supreme Court, and to handle a dramatic increase in federal filings, Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1891, establishing nine courts of appeals, one for each judicial circuit.

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