WASHINGTON, D.C. – Alabama’s U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt are each joining a new committee for the 119th Congress.
Tuberville
Tuberville will add the Senate Special Committee on Aging to his assignments along with continuing his work on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
“Now is our opportunity to show leadership by delivering tax cuts for the American people and helping President Trump secure our southern border,” Tuberville said in a video statement announcing his committee assignments.
Excited to share I will be serving on five committees for the 119th Congress: @GOPHELP, @SASCGOP, @SVACGOP, @SenateAgGOP, and @SenateAging.
Now it’s time to put our money where our mouth is and deliver on President Trump’s MAGA agenda. pic.twitter.com/C56gQC1iqv
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) January 8, 2025
Senate Armed Services Committee
The Armed Services Committee oversees the military, including the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force.
“Alabama is home to many important installations including Maxwell Air Force Base, Ft. Rucker, Redstone Arsenal, Anniston Army Depot, and Dannelly Field,” according to Tuberville’s website.
The port of Mobile is also involved in the nation’s maritime defense and Alabama’s lawmakers are still looking to bring Space Command to Huntsville.
The committee is set to hold a nomination hearing Tuesday for President-Elect Donald Trump’s pick for Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Tuberville met with Hegseth in December and has said publicly that he supports Hegseth’s nomination. Hegseth is a military veteran and mostly recently a co-host of ‘Fox and Friends Weekend.’
In 2023, Tuberville started a blockade for military nominations over his opposition to a Pentagon policy that would reimburse service members’ travel for abortions or reproductive care. It impacted nearly 400 nominations, according to The Associated Press. He lifted the blockade in December 2023.
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
The Agriculture committee oversees agriculture, food, nutrition and forestry services.
The House passed a farm bill extension in late December extending nearly $31 billion in economic aid to farmers through Sept. 30. The Senate approved the bill. The extension was included in the American Relief Act that funded the government through March 14.
Tuberville said in a December statement outlining his priorities for the 119th congress that he will work to get “a common-sense Farm Bill passed.”
The committee will hold a nomination hearing for Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, but no date has been set yet. Tuberville met with Rollins in December and said he looks forward to working with her to help farmers.
Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
The Veterans’ Affairs Committee oversees America’s veterans services, including health care and education.
The committee will hold a nomination hearing for Trump’s pick for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga. on Tuesday. Tuberville met with Collins in December and in a statement at that time that they discussed “my priorities for the VA, including access to timely and quality care, reducing veteran suicide, and removing DEI and anti-life policies from the agency.”
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
The Senate HELP Committee has jurisdiction over health, education, labor and pensions and oversees agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services.
In December, the senator also joined U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., to launch the Congressional Make America Healthy Again Caucus.
Senate Special Committee on Aging
The Senate Special Committee on Aging is focused on older Americans. Special committees do not have legislative authority but can conduct oversight and study and discuss issues that are central to their focus.
The committee’s first hearing of the 119th Congress will take place Wednesday and is titled “Improving Wellness Among Seniors: Setting a Standard for the American Dream.”
Britt
Britt joined the Senate Judiciary Committee in the 119th Congress, and will continue her work on the Senate appropriations, banking and rules committees.
Senate Judiciary Committee
The Judiciary Committee is responsible for judicial nominations, including to the U.S. Supreme Court. It has jurisdiction on issues related to the Constitution including immigration.
The committee will be in the spotlight in the coming weeks for nomination hearings for Trump’s pick for Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and FBI director, Kash Patel.
Britt told Alabama Daily News earlier this week that the Senate needs to work on the confirmations quickly, especially in light of the terror attack that killed 15 people in New Orleans New Year’s Day.
“I think when you see what happened in New Orleans, you understand how important it is we get people back in these agencies, back in these departments, that remember what their mission is, and that mission being that of keeping, particularly with FBI and DOJ, Americans, safe and secure,” Britt said.
Bondi’s hearing will take place on Wednesday and Thursday. Britt met with Bondi in December.
Patel’s hearing has not been scheduled. Britt met with Patel last month and said in an X post that he had her support.
Great meeting today with @Kash_Patel. He has my support to serve as the next FBI Director.
Kash and I agree the Biden Department of Justice’s targeting of Americans for their political beliefs must come to an end, and it will under President Trump.
The FBI’s focus should… pic.twitter.com/FJMumN1afg
— Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) December 12, 2024
Senate Appropriations Committee
The Appropriations Committee oversees all of the federal government’s discretionary spending and is Congress’ largest committee. The subcommittees oversee funding for federal agencies.
“One of Senator Britt’s top priorities is ensuring we maintain a strong national defense and that our men and women in uniform are the best equipped, resourced, and trained in the world, so that American families remain safe and free,” according to her website.
Britt’s office said through her work on the appropriations committee, the senator has brought “more than $6.9 billion back to the state in the Fiscal Year 2024,” according to a press release.
Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Development Committee
The Senate Banking Committee oversees banks, federal monetary policy, urban development and other financial matters.
A Jan. 1 press release touting Britt’s legislative accomplishments in the 118th Congress said she was focused on fighting “reckless rulemaking proposals by various U.S. federal financial regulators” for local banks and credit unions.
The committee will hold a nomination hearing for Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Scott Turner, on Thursday. Britt met with Turner in December and said she was glad to “hear his plans to roll back red tape and address housing affordability.”
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
The Rules Committee has jurisdiction over the administration of the U.S. Senate, including its rules and procedures.
There are no hearings currently set for the committee.