Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

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File:2019 US Helsinki Commission.jpg
The US Helsinki Commission at a hearing about Baltic Sea security in July 2019.
File:Member, Representative Robert Aderhold.jpg
Congressman Robert Aderholt during a Commission meeting in October 2019.

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, is an independent U.S. government agency created by Congress in 1975 to monitor and encourage compliance with the Helsinki Final Act and other Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) commitments. It was initiated by House representative Millicent Fenwick<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and established in 1975 pursuant to Public Law No. 94-304 and is based at the Ford House Office Building.

Function and duties of Commission

The commission is authorized and directed to monitor the acts of the signatories which reflect compliance with or violation of the articles of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, with particular regard to the provisions relating to human rights and Cooperation in Humanitarian Fields. The commission is further authorized and directed to monitor and encourage the development of programs and activities of the United States Government and private organizations with a view toward taking advantage of the provisions of the Final Act to expand east–west economic cooperation and a greater interchange of people and ideas between East and West.<ref name="function">Template:Usc-title-chap</ref>

Abstract

The Commission consists of nine members from the U.S. House of Representatives, nine members from the United States Senate, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce. The positions of chair and co-chair are shared by the House and Senate and rotate every two years, when a new Congress convenes. A professional staff assists the Commissioners in their work.

The Commission contributes to the formulation of U.S. policy toward the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the participating states and takes part in its execution, including through Member and staff participation on official U.S. delegations to OSCE meetings and in certain OSCE bodies. Members of the Commission have regular contact with parliamentarians, government officials, NGOs, and private individuals from other OSCE participating states.

The Commission convenes public hearings and briefings with expert witnesses on OSCE-related issues; issues public reports concerning implementation of OSCE commitments in participating States; publishes a periodic Digest with up-to-date information on OSCE developments and Commission activities; and organizes official delegations to participating States and OSCE meetings to address and assess democratic, economic, and human rights developments firsthand.

History

In February 2018, the CSCE convened in Washington, DC to address the issue of Russian doping in international sport. Central to the discussion was an exploration of the need to protect whistleblowers. The meeting included testimony from Jim Walden,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> attorney for Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Russia's anti-doping laboratory who defected to the US.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Russia – Human Rights and Political Prospects (IA gov.gpo.fdsys.CHRG-109shrg95680).pdf
Russia: Human Rights and Political Prospects 2005 briefing document

On 1 July 2022 Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania Bogdan Aurescu co-chaired a conference on Euro-Atlantic security called "BLACK SEA SECURITY SUMMIT".<ref name="bsss">Template:Cite news</ref>

On 17 October 2022, while the Russian invasion of Ukraine was in full swing, the Commission called for the State Department to submit a motion to the United Nations to end the status of Russia as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. This initiative was seen as a further step in the campaign of Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.N. Sergiy Kyslytsya to unseat Russia.<ref name="rmamn">Template:Cite news</ref>

On 14 December 2022, the commission's co-chair Steve Cohen and ranking member Joe Wilson submitted the bipartisan resolution 1517 to the House of Representatives wherein they recapitulated that Russia had committed "flagrant violations" of the U.N. Charter that call into question its right to hold a Security Council seat.<ref name="wisn">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="aa">Template:Cite news</ref> The resolution also urged President Biden, inter alia, "to direct the Department of State and other relevant Federal departments and agencies to pursue all appropriate steps with Allies, partners, and other countries to limit, suspend, or terminate the participation or membership of the Russian Federation in other organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations".<ref name="sc1517">Template:Cite news</ref> On March 9, 2023, the CSCE convened a hearing with experts, to include national securilty law expert Jason Wright regarding the Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries (HARM) Act (H.R. 506/S. 416), which is a proposal to designate the Wagner Group (and its affiliates and successors) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="countering">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Current Commissioners, 119th Congress

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Commissioners, 118th Congress
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Commissioners, 116th Congress
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Commissioners, 114th Congress
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Commissioners, 113th Congress
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Commissioners, 112th Congress
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Commissioners, 111th Congress
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Commissioners, 110th Congress
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Commissioners, 109th Congress
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Commissioners, 108th Congress
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Commissioners, 107th Congress
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Commissioners, 106th Congress
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Commissioners, 105th Congress
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Commissioners, 104th Congress
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Commissioners, 103rd Congress
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Commissioners, 102nd Congress
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Commissioners, 101st Congress
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Commissioners, 100th Congress
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Commissioners, 99th Congress
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Commissioners, 98th Congress
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Commissioners, 97th Congress
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Commissioners, 96th Congress
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Commissioners, 95th Congress
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Commissioners, 94th Congress
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Historical leadership

Start End Chair Co-Chair Ranking Member Vice Ranking Member
1976 1979 rowspan=4 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Dante Fascell (D-FL) rowspan=2 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-RI) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Clifford Case (R-NJ) rowspan=2 Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. John Buchanan (R-AL)
1979 1981 Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS)
1981 1983 Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Millicent Fenwick (R-NJ)
1983 1985 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Al D'Amato (R-NY) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Don Ritter (R-PA)
1985 1987 Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Al D'Amato (R-NY) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Jack Kemp (R-NY) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)
1987 1989 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Al D'Amato (R-NY) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Jack Kemp (R-NY)
1989 1991 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. John Porter (R-IL) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Al D'Amato (R-NY)
1991 1993 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Al D'Amato (R-NY) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. John Porter (R-IL)
1993 1995 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Al D'Amato (R-NY)
1995 1997 Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Al D'Amato (R-NY) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
1997 1999 Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Al D'Amato (R-NY) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI)
1999 2001 Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Ben Campbell (R-CO) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
2001 2003 Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Ben Campbell (R-CO) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
2003 2005 Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Ben Campbell (R-CO) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
2005 2007 Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
2007 2009 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)
2009 2011 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS)
2011 2013 Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
2013 2015 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
2015 2017 Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
2017 2019 Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
2019 2021 Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)
2021 2023 Template:Party shading/Democratic rowspan=2 |Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Template:Party shading/Republican rowspan=2 |Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) Template:Party shading/Republican rowspan=2 |Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)
2023 2025 Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)
2025 present Template:Party shading/Republican |Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) Template:Party shading/Republican |Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) Template:Party shading/Democratic |Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

References

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