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Congressional Committees

Learn about the purpose and types of congressional committees, including standing, subcommittees, select, joint, and conference committees. Discover how members are selected, the power dynamics within committees, and their importance in shaping legislation.

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Congressional Committees

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  1. Congressional Committees The House The Senate

  2. Purpose of Committees • To divide work of Congress into smaller specialized groups • To select bills that will be allowed to move forward • To hold public hearings and investigations

  3. Committee Hearings www.capitolhearings.org

  4. General Truths AboutAll Committees • Party in power selects chairperson • Membership in each committee is divided in proportion to percentage of control in House/Senate • All committees have subcommittees

  5. General Truths AboutAll Committees • Members of Congress fight for certain chairperson positions. • Chairpersons often have great power. • Certain committees are more prestigious. • Each member of Congress can only serve on a limited number of committees.

  6. General Truths AboutAll Committees Unwritten Rule: Seniority System

  7. Kinds of Committees • Standing Committees • Subcommittees • Select Committees • Joint Committees • Conference Committees 1 2 3 4 5

  8. Standing Committees 1 • They are permanent committees. • They represent major areas of government.

  9. Subcommittees 2 • Work with a smaller part of the larger committee’s responsibilities. • These subcommittees are usually permanent but change occasionally.

  10. Subcommittee Example Ways and Means Committee • Health • Human Resources • Oversight • Select Revenue Measures • Social Security • Trade Subcommittees

  11. Select Committees 3 • Usually created to study one specific issue • Usually deal with some large issue of great concern • Usually temporary • Purpose: Investigate and report findings to House or Senate

  12. Joint Committees 4 • Have members from both House and Senate • Serve as study groups • Report findings to House and Senate • Limited authority since representing both House and Senate

  13. Conference Committees 5 • Members from both House and Senate • Temporary – for one bill only • Only Job = Negotiate the final form of a bill • Report the bill back to both House and Senate

  14. House Rules Ways and Means (taxation, tariffs and other revenue raising legislation) Appropriations (where the money goes, how much) Senate Foreign Relations Finance (like the Ways and Means, but also deals with Social Security) Appropriations Powerful Committees

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