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Congressional Committees

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Presentation on theme: "Congressional Committees"— Presentation transcript:

1 Congressional Committees

2 Wilson’s Famous Quote Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.

3 Can originate legislation
Types of committees Type Can originate legislation Standing X Select/special Joint Conference

4 What do Committees Do? Study issues and provide expertise
Channel ambition Provide for representation of groups Specialization Hearings and Testimony Mark-up Session

5 House/Senate comparisons
House more reliant on committees than the Senate House more specialized First-mover advantage may give Ways and Means even great power

6 Committees in the 107th Congress
Senate Standing Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, and *Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Governmental Affairs Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans Affairs Select Indian Affairs Ethics Intelligence Aging House Standing Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education and the Workforce Energy and Commerce Financial Services Government Reform House Administration International Relations Judiciary Resources Rules Science Small Business Standards of Official Conduct Transportation and Infrastructure Veterans Affairs Ways and Means Select Permanent Intelligence [Homeland Security] Joint Joint Economic Committee Library Printing Taxation

7 Membership Party ratios Renegotiated every Congress
Sometimes a bone of contention with minority party There is usually a bonus given to the majority party Special bonus for certain committees House right now: 1.3:1 for “important” committees, closer to 1.1:1 for others

8 How Committee members are chosen
Party committees make choices House tends to rely on party committees Senate tends to go by seniority Republicans pure seniority Democrats weight seniority highest

9 Chairs Seniority system: the practice of reserving the chairs of committees for the most senior member (on that committee) Result of revolt against Cannon Democrats in 1970s put chairs up to confirmatory vote Republicans 1970s put ranking members up to confirmatory vote 1994: term limits (6 years) plus vote of caucus 2000: Affected virtually every chair (ideology + $$ mattered)

10 Subcommittees and Their Role
Subcommittees sometimes just smaller versions of committees The congressional receptor for the “Iron Triangle” Increasing importance of subcommittees “Subcommittee bill of rights” in 1973 (House Dems) Written jurisdictions Members given rights to pick memberships and bid for chairmanships Increase in # of subcommittees Increase in congressional staff size

11 Committees to Know About
House Rules Appropriations NYTimes article about the “cardinals” Ways and Means Budget Senate Finance Judiciary Foreign Relations

12 Changes Made by House Republicans after 1994
Committees eliminated DC Merchant Marine & Fisheries Post Office & Civil Service Staff cut by 1/3 Subcommittee limits (generally 5) Subcommittee staff controlled by committee chair Assignment limits Proxy voting banned Committees must publish roll call votes on all bills and amendments Rolling quorums banned Meetings may be closed to the public rarely All committees open to broadcast coverage & still photography Multiple referrals eliminated Speaker may still serially refer bills

13 Development of Committees
House Slow to develop (Hamilton) Short leash Gradual increase under Clay Senate Even slower 1819 boom

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