2. Committees  What are committees? Groups of Congress people assigned to groups of specific areas of expertise

3. Purpose of Committees  Purpose of Committees Allows work to be divided among smaller group of people Hundreds of bills are introduced each year so this creates a system of selection ○ Committees listen to supporters and opponents ○ Work out compromises that give a bill the best chance at becoming law Hold public hearings and investigations and help the public learn about key problems and issues

4.  Committees At least 2 committee assignments per Congress member Meet with witnesses and experts to gain information Leaders of Committee are in majority party ○ (That is another reason it is so important to be in the majority party!)

5. Types of committees  Standing Committees  Select Committees  Joint Committees  Conference Committees

6. Committees  Standing committees Created very early in the new gov’t to oversee bills that deal with particular issues These committees are permanent and continue from Congress to Congress These committees also have subcommittee

7. Standing Committees: House  Agriculture  Appropriations  Armed Services  Banking and Financial Services  Budget  Commerce  Education and the Workforce  Government Reform  House Administration  International Relations  Judiciary  Resources  Rules  Science  Small Business  Standards of Official Conduct  Transportation and Infrastructure  Veterans’ Affairs  Ways and Means

8. Standing Committees: Senate  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  Indian Affairs  Judiciary  Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions  Rules and Administration  Small Business  Veterans’ Affairs

9. Committees  Joint Committees: Made up of members from each chamber Exist in a few policy areas- economy and taxation ○ Eg.: Joint Economic Committee

10. Committees No bill can be sent from Congress to the President until both houses have passed it in identical form.  Conference Temporary committee, formed when Senate and House pass different versions of a bill Members of each chamber must compromise on differences and present a single bill

11. Committees  Select: Created to study a specific issue and report findings to their chamber Usually only created for one term of Congress Created in both houses of Congress ex: Senate Select Committee that investigated the Watergate Scandal

12. Committee  Rules Committee One of the oldest and most powerful committees Serves as the traffic officer in the House Helps direct the flow of major legislation After bill is approved in committee is goes to the rules committee to be processed into the House schedule

13. Membership in Committees  Congress members may only serve on a limited number of standing committees and subcommittees.  Political parties assign members to the standing committees. The majority party in Congress will be the majority in committees as well.  Committee Chairpersons of standing committees are some of the most powerful people in Congress. Chairpersons decide when hearings will be held and who will testify for or against a bill.