TheJoint Committee on Atomic Energy (JCAE) was aUnited States congressional committee that was tasked with exclusive jurisdiction over "all bills, resolutions, and other matters" related tocivilian andmilitary aspects ofnuclear power from 1946 through 1977. It was established by theUnited States Atomic Energy Act of 1946, and was the overseer of theUnited States Atomic Energy Commission. It had been preceded by theSenate Special Committee on Atomic Energy, chaired by SenatorBrien McMahon. For its broad powers, it is described as one of the most powerful congressional committees in U.S. history.^[1] It was the only permanent joint committee in modern times to have legislative authority.

The panel coupled these legislative powers with exclusive access to the information upon which its highly secretive deliberations were based. In particular its relations with theU.S. Department of Defense and the individual armed services were especially close.^[1] The joint committee was also entitled by statute to be kept "fully and currently informed" of all commission activities and vigorously exercised that statutory right, demanding information and attention from theexecutive branch in a fashion that arguably has no equivalent today.

During the early years of theCold War, McMahon became the Senate's most prominent expert on atomic energy matters and as chairman exercised considerable influence towards increasing the focus on nuclear weapons as being essential to the American national interest.^[2] In this McMahon was aided by the executive director of the committee's staff,William L. Borden, who himself became a powerful figure.^[3] SenatorBourke Hickenlooper also served as chair during the early years of the committee and shared a similar sensibility.^[3] Indeed regardless of which party controlled the committee, the push for increased production of nuclear materials, and a resultant increase in the American nuclear stockpile, continued.^[1]

One major power wielded by the JCAE was the "Legislative Veto". This unique power enabled the JCAE to influence policy decisions while matters were pending. This enabled the JCAE to act as a co-decision maker with the executive branch rather than only providingcongressional oversight of actions that had already occurred. The legislative veto power was later found to beunconstitutional by theUnited States Supreme Court in 1983.^[4]

This committee was the main opponent to the creation of the EPA. The Ash Council addressed its resistance to interference by proposing to only transfer over to the new agency the responsibilities of setting radiation standards outside of nuclear power plants.^[5]

The JCAE had various subcommittees including Agreements for Cooperation, Communities, Legislation, Military Application, National Security, Raw Materials, Radiation (Special), and Research and Development.

During the 1970s, the committee's role in shaping nuclear policy began to diminish after theNuclear Regulatory Commission was created to replace theAtomic Energy Commission. Congress soon transferred the bulk of the joint committee's jurisdiction over civilian nuclear power to other standing congressional committees in theHouse andSenate. The joint committee was finally abolished on August 5, 1977.

• Brien McMahon (D-CT), 1946–52: Senator who was legislative author of theAtomic Energy Act of 1946, chairman of the JCAE whenever Democrats controlled Congress (1946, and 1949–52), until his death. Chairman of the JCAE during detection of the first Soviet atomic bomb, the debate over thehydrogen bomb, and the discovery ofKlaus Fuchs as a spy.
• Bourke Hickenlooper (R-IA), 1946–68: Ranking senator throughout much of its early history; chairman of the JCAE from 1947 to 1948. In 1949, he led a campaign accusing AEC chairmanDavid E. Lilienthal of "incredible mismanagement" of the US nuclear complex.^[6]

The joint committee had equal representation between both theHouse andSenate, with 5 majority and 4 minority members from each house. The committee was chaired by asenator from the majority party until the83rd Congress, when the chairmanship began to alternate between a majorityrepresentative and majoritysenator.

• William L. Borden, executive director of staff, 1949–1953: Unusually powerful and influential staff figure who advocated for nuclear weapons development in the United States government. Most known for sending a letter that led to theOppenheimer security hearing.^[7]

• Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha

 This article incorporatespublic domain material from9/11 Commission Recommendations: Joint Committee on Atomic Energy — A Model for Congressional Oversight?(PDF).Congressional Research Service. August 20, 2004.

• Library.stanford.edu:Joint Committee on Atomic Energy Digital Library —hosted by Stanford University.

• Governmental nuclear organizations
• Defunct joint committees of the United States Congress
• Nuclear history of the United States
• 1946 establishments in the United States
• 1977 disestablishments in Washington, D.C.
• United States Atomic Energy Commission

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