United States Senate Special Committee on Aging

The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging was initially established in 1961 as a temporary committee; it became a permanent Senate committee in 1977. As a special committee, it has no legislative authority, but it studies issues related to older Americans, particularly Medicare and Social Security.

Prior to the passage of Medicare, the committee was studying health care insurance coverage for elderly American citizens. The committee conducts oversight of the Medicare program, Social Security and the Older Americans Act. Some of the issues that have been examined by the committee include unacceptable conditions in nursing homes, protection from age discrimination, and pricing practices for prescription drugs.

Chairperson

 * Patrick V. McNamara (D-MI), 1961–1963
 * George Smathers (D-FL), 1963–1967
 * Harrison A. Williams (D-NJ), 1967–1971
 * Frank Church (D-ID), 1971–1979
 * Lawton Chiles (D-FL) 1979–1981
 * John Heinz (R-PA), 1981–1987
 * John Melcher (D-MT), 1987–1989
 * David Pryor (D-AR), 1989–1995
 * William Cohen (R-ME), 1995–1997
 * Charles Grassley (R-IA), 1997–2001
 * John Breaux (D-LA), 2001
 * Larry Craig (R-ID), 2001
 * John Breaux (D-LA), 2001–2003
 * Larry Craig (R-ID), 2003–2005
 * Gordon Smith (R-OR), 2005–2007
 * Herb Kohl (D-WI), 2007–2013
 * Bill Nelson (D-FL), 2013–2015
 * Susan Collins (R-ME), 2015–2021
 * Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA), 2021–present