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
                                     

4. General Truths About All 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 About All 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 About All Committees
Unwritten Rule:
Seniority System

7. Kinds of Committees Standing Committees Subcommittees1
Standing Committees
Subcommittees
Select Committees
Joint Committees
Conference Committees
              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 Committees5
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. Powerful Committees 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