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U. S. Foreign Relations: House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee

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House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee

Publications from the House Foreign Affairs Committee and its subcommittees are available in full text through the Proquest Congressional database, or in print copy in the library's government documents collection.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee grew out of predecessor committees which date back to 1775. The Continental Congress first established the "Committee of Correspondence" to represent the United States abroad. Over time this committee has come to be overshadowed by its more powerful Senate counterpart, the Committee on Foreign Relations. Unlike the Senate committee, which has authority over treaties and the appointments of foreign policy officials, Foreign Affairs has had a more limited foreign policy agenda, mainly confined to foreign aid and State Department authorization bills. Source

The Foreign Affairs Committee established a subcommittee system in 1945. This usually contains 4-5 regional committees and several subcommittees. The subcommittees which have been established since 1945 are as follows (in alphabetical order):

  • Africa
  • Africa and Global Health
  • Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Operations
  • Arms Control, International Security, and Science
  • Asia and Pacific Affairs
  • Europe
  • Europe and Emerging Threats
  • Europe and the Middle East
  • Foreign Economic Policy
  • Future Foreign Policy Research and Development
  • Human Rights and International Organization
  • Inter-American Affairs
  • International Development
  • International Economic Policy, trade, Oceans, and Environment
  • International Operations
  • International Operations and Human Rights
  • International Organizations and Movements
  • International Political and Military Affairs
  • International Resources, Food, and Energy
  • International Security and Scientific Affairs
  • International Trade and Commerce
  • International Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Human Rights
  • International Terrorism and Nonproliferation
  • Investigations
  • National Security Policy and Scientific Developments
  • Near East
  • Near East and South Asia
  • Oversight
  • Oversight and Investigations
  • Special Subcommittee for Review of Foreign Aid Program
  • State Department Organization and Foreign Operations
  • Terrorism, Narcotics, and International Communications
  • Western Hemisphere Affairs
  • Western Hemisphere and Peace Corps Affairs