Senate Democratic Policy Committee
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The United States Senate Democratic Policy Committee is responsible for the creation of new United States Democratic Party policy proposals, supporting Democratic senators with legislative research, developing reports on legislation and policy, conducting oversight hearings, monitoring roll call votes, differentiating between Democratic and Republican positions, and building party unity.
The committee was established in 1947, by an act signed by President Harry S. Truman, alongside its Republican counterpart. From 1947 to 2000, the Democratic leader was also the policy committee chairman. From 1989 to 1999, there was a co-chairman. Starting in 1999, the co-chairman was dropped and the position of policy committee chairman became a separate position elected by the Senate Democratic Caucus. The committee chairman is a member of the Democratic party leadership of the United States Senate.
List of Democratic Policy Committee Chairman in the United States Senate
| Dates | Name | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-1949 | Alben W. Barkley | Kentucky | Also Democratic floor leader |
| 1949-1951 | Scott W. Lucas | Illinois | Also Democratic floor leader |
| 1951-1953 | Ernest W. McFarland | Arizona | Also Democratic floor leader |
| 1953-1961 | Lyndon Johnson | Texas | Also Democratic floor leader |
| 1961-1977 | Mike Mansfield | Montana | Also Democratic floor leader |
| 1977-1989 | Robert Byrd | West Virginia | Also Democratic floor leader |
| 1989-1995 (co-chairs) |
George J. Mitchell | Maine | Also Democratic floor leader |
| Tom Daschle | South Dakota | ||
| 1995-1999 (co-chairs) |
Also Democratic floor leader | ||
| Harry Reid | Nevada | ||
| 1999-2011 | Byron Dorgan | North Dakota | |
| 2011–present | Chuck Schumer | New York | Also Vice Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus |
