| Summary: | 碩士 === 淡江大學 === 美國研究所 === 90 === The chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has long been an important role in the field of American foreign affairs since the committee was created in 1816. Following the Republican Party’s takeover of the both chambers of Congress after the grand victory in the midterm elections in 1994, Senator Jesse Helms finally sat on the throne of the committee chair at his age of 73.
Long before Helms became the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, he has been well-known for his fervent support of school prayer, and his harsh criticism against abortion and homosexuality. In the domain of international affairs, Helms is a staunch protector of American sovereignty and national interests, and a strong supporter of unmatched military might and concrete defenses for American people. He is also legendary for his tirades against communism, his suspicion of international organization, and his skepticism about arms control accords. During Bill Clinton’s presidency, Helms used his position of the committee chairman and his knowledge of Senate rules to block many diplomatic nominations and arms control treaties. His frequent use of obstructive tactics in legislation and his firm opposition against bills which he considered “too liberal” earned him the sobriquet “Senator No.”
Helms’s chairmanship had ended in June 2001. On August 22 in the same year, Helms also announced he would not seek reelection in 2002 because of his age. Although Helms is often regarded as a controversial political figure in his senatorial career, his unbending conservative stance, uncompromising character, and legislative skills along with his long-term service in Senate has made him one of the most powerful chairmen in the history of the Foreign Relations Committee.
This thesis is divided into six chapters: The first chapter explains the motives and purposes of this study, approaches of undertaking this research, limits of the research, as well as the arrangement of the chapters in the thesis. Chapter Two is the discussions regarding authorities of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, the ways of electing the committee chair, and the structures of the committee. The third chapter is the analysis of Jesse Helms’s conservative ideas, and the introduction of his background, including his family, school life and working experiences before entering the Senate. Chapter Four describes Helms’s views toward the Foreign Relations Committee, and discusses his conservative stance in foreign policies and his controversial legislative skills. In Chapter Five, Helms’s influences on foreign policies are evaluated by his legislative achievements and by comparisons with former famous chairmen of the Foreign Relations Committee. The last chapter concludes the findings of the study.
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