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Congressional Committees. Purposes of Committees Divides work 1000s of bills are proposed, impossible for everyone to research every bill Committees select bills to receive consideration Help public learn about important issues Investigations and hearings. Kinds of Committees.
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Congressional Committees • Purposes of Committees • Divides work • 1000s of bills are proposed, impossible for everyone to research every bill • Committees select bills to receive consideration • Help public learn about important issues • Investigations and hearings
Kinds of Committees • Standing Committees • Continue from one Congress to the next • Divided into categories • Majority party leads the committees • Subcommittees • Specializes in a subcategory for the standing committee
Kinds of Committees • Select committees • special committees created in both houses • one term only • study a specific issue • Matters of public concern • Overlooked problems • Problems of interest groups • Joint committees • members of both houses • act as study groups for Congress
Kinds of Committees • Conference committees • temporary committees set • resolve the differences in the House and Senate versions of a bill • work out a compromise bill that each house then can accept or reject
Choosing Committee Members • Parties assign members to the standing committees • Limit on number of committees a member may serve on • Chairpersons of standing committees have great influence • Make decisions about work of committees • Manage floor debates on bills that came from their committee • Often assigned by the seniority system