 On January 19, 1897, Fairbanks was elected to the Senate, and he took his seat on March 4.During his eight years in the U.S. Senate, Fairbanks served as a key advisor to McKinley during the Spanish–American War and was also the Chairman of the Committee on Immigration and the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds.In 1898, Fairbanks was appointed a member of the United States and British Joint High Commission which met in Quebec City for the adjustment of Canadian questions, including the boundary dispute about Alaska.