By Kristofer Angle

Washington - While the Senate divides its tasks among 20 committees, 68 subcommittees, and 4 joint committees, there are three Senate panels that have a special impact on the conduct of U.S. foreign policy.

They are the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

With Republicans in control of the Senate by a 51-48 margin, with one Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, they hold the chairmanship and the majority in the committees in the new Congress.

Within each committee, the chairman is usually the dominant figure, although his powers are not so dominant as in the past.

How fast a bill moves through the committee, and how well it survives intact, depends on a number of factors. If, for example, the chairman or a senior member of the committee sponsored the bill, prospects for passage are much better than if the bill were offered by someone not on the committee or contrary to the committee's stand on an issue.

Bills introduced by request of the administration also have a much better chance of timely committee action, especially if the committee chairman is of the same party as the President.

Without these factors, or a significant amount of public support, a chairman can virtually ignore a bill or resolution, effectively burying it in committee so that it never reaches the full Senate for action.

In the 108th Congress, Republicans hold a 13-12 margin on the Armed Services Committee, with Senator John Warner (Republican of Virginia) as chairman.

The GOP ("Grand Old Party" -- as Republicans call themselves) holds a 10-9 advantage on the Foreign Relations Committee, with Senator Richard Lugar (Republican of Indiana) as chairman.

On the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Republicans have a 9-8 margin, with Senator Pat Roberts (Republican of Kansas) as chairman.

Each party assigns its own members to committees, and each committee distributes its members among its subcommittees.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, notes its website, has jurisdiction over the aeronautical and space activities associated with the development of weapons systems or military operations; the common defense; the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force, generally; military research and development; national security aspects of nuclear energy; naval petroleum reserves; and strategic and critical materials necessary for the common defense as well as other matters relating to U.S. service personnel.

The Armed Services panel, along with its six subcommittees (Airland Forces, Readiness and Management Support, Emerging Threats and Capabilities, Sea Power, Strategic Forces, and Personnel) conducts comprehensive studies and reviews of issues affecting the common defense policy of the United States.

The Foreign Relations Committee domain extends to proposed legislation, messages, and other matters relating to foreign policy matters including, treaties and executive agreements; national security; intervention abroad and declarations of war; foreign economic, military, technical, and humanitarian assistance; foreign loans; international conferences, congresses and laws relating to foreign policy; measures to foster and safeguard international commerce, protection of United States citizens abroad and expatriation, U.S. policy toward and participation in international organizations such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank; and the U.S. diplomatic service.

The Foreign Relations panel also studies matters relating to U.S. national security policy, foreign policy, and international economic policy as it relates to food, hunger, and nutrition in foreign countries, and reports on these matters to the full Senate from time to time.

The Foreign Relations Committee divides its subcommittees between geographic areas and functional lines. Among the subcommittees dealing with geographic areas are the Subcommittees on African Affairs, East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, and European Affairs. Subcommittees dealing with functional areas include International Economic Policy/Export and Trade Promotion and International Operations and Terrorism.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence oversees and makes continuing studies of the intelligence activities and programs of the United States Government, submits to the Senate proposals for legislation, and reports to the Senate concerning intelligence activities and programs.

The Select Committee cannot initiate an investigation of an intelligence matter unless at least five of the seventeen members specifically request it.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has jurisdiction over the Central Intelligence Agency and intelligence activities of all other departments and agencies of the Government, including the Department of State and insures that these agencies provide informed and timely intelligence necessary for both the executive and legislative branches to make sound decisions affecting U.S. security and the nation's vital interests.

The panel also insures that intelligence activities conform to the Constitution and U.S. laws.

The panel has no subcommittees. The committee is unique in that it is required to have a Democrat and a Republican from the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on the Judiciary, with seven other members appointed from the Senate at large.