Senate Committee on Aging

Chair: Bob Casey

F

Grade for the 117th Congress

0 Investigative Oversight Hearings

1 Policy/Legislative Hearings

25 Total Hearings

Last updated: Feb. 16, 2024, 3:09 p.m.

As a special committee, the Aging committee has no legislative authority, nor any nomination responsibilities. It can issue reports, hold hearings and investigate reports of fraud and abuse in programs for the elderly. It frequently reviews Medicare, and regularly looks into issues like age discrimination, phone scams that target the old, and nursing home practices. There is no House counterpart. It has no subcommittees.

Despite its diffuse jurisdiction and lack of legislative or nomination responsibilities, the committee has been relatively active over the years. In the 116th Congress (2019-20) under Chair Susan Collins (R, Me.) it held 21 hearings, the fewest of the period, but still more than the Agriculture committee (which held 14). That was a drop from the previous Congress under Sen. Collins, when it held 23 hearings and the 114th Congress, where it held 29 hearings under Sen. Collins' leadership.

In the 116th Congress under Chair Collins the committee held seven policy oversight hearings (the committee rarely conducts legislative oversight.) For the previous five Congresses it had averaged about 10 policy hearings each Congress.

However, the committee punched above its weight on investigative oversight under Chair Collins in the 114th (2015-16) and 115th Congresses with seven investigative hearings over that time. In the 116th, the committee held just one investigative hearing on "Protecting Seniors from the Social Security Impersonation Scams" in January 2020.


Chairs

111th Congress: Herb Kohl (D-WI)

112th Congress: Herb Kohl (D-WI)

113th Congress: Bill Nelson (D-FL)

114th Congress: Susan Collins (R-ME)

115th Congress: Susan Collins (R-ME)

116th Congress: Susan Collins (R-ME)

117th Congress: Bob Casey (D-PA)


Current Congress

We are 100% of the way through the 117th Congress

Senate Committee on Aging

0 Investigative Oversight Hearings; 0% historical maximum
1 Policy/Legislative Hearings; 8% historical maximum
25 Total Hearings; 77% historical maximum

Committee History

Number of Hearings
Committee Hearing Performance
Investigative/Oversight Policy/Legislative Total Hearings Score Grade
111th Congress 1 12 25 79% C+
112th Congress 2 13 24 90% A-
113th Congress 1 12 34 92% A
114th Congress 4 7 29 100% A
115th Congress 3 4 23 73% C
116th Congress* 1 7 21 74% C
117th Congress 0 1 25 40% F
Historical average 1.7 8.0 25.9

* Adjustments have been applied so that committees' grades are not lowered by the constraints on hearings caused by Covid-19 [oversight-index.thelugarcenter.org/covid-19-statement]

Number of Hearings

--- Historical Average

Hearings held by the
Senate Committee on Aging

Date Hearing Title Committee Category