Tom Cotton
Chairman, Senate Intelligence Committee
RECORD LOCKED · 119TH CONGRESSWhy this seat is in the Gang of Eight
Holds a Gang of Eight seat as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence — a committee leadership position written into the covert action notification statute.
Statutory basis
The chairmen of the congressional intelligence committees are named in 50 U.S.C. § 3093(c)(2).
Background
Tom Cotton has represented Arkansas in the Senate since 2015 and chairs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in the 119th Congress. An Army infantry officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, he has been among the Senate's more prominent voices on national security and intelligence policy. His Gang of Eight seat follows the committee chairmanship.
Role in intelligence oversight
Directs the Senate Intelligence Committee's oversight agenda and leads the committee's annual Intelligence Authorization Act, which the committee advanced in the 119th Congress alongside Vice Chairman Warner.
Record
| Full name | Thomas Bryant Cotton |
|---|---|
| Gang of Eight seat | Chairman, Senate Intelligence Committee |
| Basis of seat | Intelligence Committee Leadership |
| Party | Republican |
| Represents | Arkansas |
| Congressional service | Elected to the Senate in 2014; House service 2013–2015 |
| Holding this seat since | January 2025 |
| Predecessor in seat | Mark Warner |
| Official site | www.cotton.senate.gov |
| Record covers | 119th Congress (January 3, 2025 – January 3, 2027) |
| Last verified | August 27, 2026 |
What this page does not claim
Nothing on this page asserts that this officeholder received any particular briefing, or describes the contents of any classified notification. Gang of Eight notifications are, by design, not public. This is a record of the seat and the authority attached to it.