Purposes of Committees
A. Over 20,000 bills are submitted each Congressional term
B. 90% of Congressional work is carried out in committees.
C. Committees ease Congressional workload by dividing work among smaller groups, allowing members to specialize on key issues.
D. Committees allow members to discuss and select the most important bills Congress will consider.
E. Committees hold investigative public hearings on key problems hearing testimony from expert witnesses.
F. On average, over 90% of the bills die at this level (PIGEONHOLED)
Committee Membership
◆Members express preferences to a party selection committee.
◆Members usually go to areas where they have experience or concern their districts.
◆Committees dealing with appropriations, taxes, and finance are always sought after because they deal with allocation of money.
◆ Controlled by parties in the majority party.
◆Chairperson for standing committees comes from majority party; seniority usually prevails. Most influential member of the committee. Arranges meetings, controls staffing and funding, sets agenda. Minority party is the committees but are always in the minority.
◆Senate= Steering Committee makes assignments for both parties.
◆House= Committee on Committees= Republicans; Steering and Policy Committee= Democrats
◆Members usually go to areas where they have experience or concern their districts.
◆Committees dealing with appropriations, taxes, and finance are always sought after because they deal with allocation of money.
◆ Controlled by parties in the majority party.
◆Chairperson for standing committees comes from majority party; seniority usually prevails. Most influential member of the committee. Arranges meetings, controls staffing and funding, sets agenda. Minority party is the committees but are always in the minority.
◆Senate= Steering Committee makes assignments for both parties.
◆House= Committee on Committees= Republicans; Steering and Policy Committee= Democrats
Types of Committees
Standing Committees:
◆permanent subject matter committees ◆have legislative jurisdiction ◆consider bills and issues ◆recommend measures for consideration. ◆oversight responsibility of agencies, programs, and activities within jurisdictions. - oldest standing committee = House Ways and Means Committee (1802) Conference Committees:
- temporary •include House and Senate negotiators •created to resolve differences between versions of similar House and Senate bills. |
Select (Special) Committees:
◆formed for specific purpose; temporary ◆conduct investigations, studies, and, consider measures. ◆examine emerging issues that don’t fit within existing standing committee jurisdictions. ◆handle some oversight or “housekeeping” responsibilities. Joint Committees:
•Permanent •include members of House and Senate. •Four joint committees: Economic, Library, Printing, Taxation. •conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks rather than consider measures. |
Important Committees
Committee on Committees (Republican)
Assigns Republicans to standing committees in the Senate.
House Judiciary Committee
Considers legislation dealing with civil liberties, constitutional amendments, federal courts and judges, immigration, civil and criminal laws
Rules Committee
A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the house.
Steering and Policy Committee
For Democrats it assigns party members to House committees. Same function for Republicans but split into 2 committees.
Ways and Means Committee
The House of Representatives committee that, along with the Senate Finance Committee, writes the tax codes, subject to the approval of Congress as a whole.
Appropriations: (House)
deals with spending bills.
•Authorization bill allows for money to be spent.
•Appropriation bill provides the actual funding for the program.
Foreign Relations: Highly prestigious.
•Senate has larger role in foreign affairs than House because of treaty ratification, ambassador confirmation provisions in Constitution
Judiciary: Screens judicial nominees.
•Careful scrutiny given because of the power of the modern judiciary and the fact that judges have life terms. Presidents Clinton and Bush 43 both criticized the committee by holding up numerous judicial nominations. Some delays under Clinton lasted many months, and in some cases, years.
Assigns Republicans to standing committees in the Senate.
House Judiciary Committee
Considers legislation dealing with civil liberties, constitutional amendments, federal courts and judges, immigration, civil and criminal laws
Rules Committee
A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the house.
Steering and Policy Committee
For Democrats it assigns party members to House committees. Same function for Republicans but split into 2 committees.
Ways and Means Committee
The House of Representatives committee that, along with the Senate Finance Committee, writes the tax codes, subject to the approval of Congress as a whole.
Appropriations: (House)
deals with spending bills.
•Authorization bill allows for money to be spent.
•Appropriation bill provides the actual funding for the program.
Foreign Relations: Highly prestigious.
•Senate has larger role in foreign affairs than House because of treaty ratification, ambassador confirmation provisions in Constitution
Judiciary: Screens judicial nominees.
•Careful scrutiny given because of the power of the modern judiciary and the fact that judges have life terms. Presidents Clinton and Bush 43 both criticized the committee by holding up numerous judicial nominations. Some delays under Clinton lasted many months, and in some cases, years.