1. GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER 12
SECTION 2

2. COMMITTEES PURPOSES OF COMMITTEES:
1. Divide up work into smaller groups
2. Narrow the bills down to the ones that receive further consideration. (10%)
3. Helps the public learn about key problems (public hearings & investigations)
4. Lawmakers can become specialists in the area of their committee.
5. Hear supporters & opponents of the bills

3. STANDING COMMITTEE
Permanent groups to oversee bills that deal with certain issues (p.340)
Examples: Agriculture, Resources, National Security, Veterans Affairs.
Most important: House Committees
Rules: most powerful, runs the floor of the House, directs legislation.
Ways & Means: where all tax bills begin.
Appropriations: determines where and how government money will be spent (how the money will be appropriated).

4. STANDING COMMITTEES Most important: Senate Committees
Foreign Relations: deals with international issues.
Finance: tax laws come through here after passing through the House Ways & Means.
Appropriations: determines where and how government money will be spent.

5. SUBCOMMITTEES
Specializes in a sub category of it’s Standing Committee. (Each Standing Committee has about 5 Subcommittees)
The Standing Committee: Foreign Affairs (International Relations):
Subcommittees: (These are examples – you DO NOT need to write all of these in your notes)
Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment
Subcommittee on Europe
Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight
Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

6. SELECT COMMITTEES
Temporary Committees (usually) that study one specific issue and report their findings to the Senate or House. They have no legislative powers.
Example: Senate Special Committee on Aging: Reviews effectiveness of Medicare, Social Security, etc. (has attained Permanent status).

7. JOINT COMMITTEES
Temporary or permanent: Set up to be the study groups. They study specific topics and report back to the House or Senate. They have members from bothe the House & Senate.
Example: The Joint Economic Committee studies the economy of the U.S.; jobs, unemployment, interest rates, etc.

8. CONFERENCE COMMITTEES
A bill must pass both houses of Congress in identical form before it can go to the president.
If similar (but not identical) bills pass through each house, then a temporary Conference Committee is set up to resolve the differences in the two bills.
The committee is usually made up members from the House and Senate Standing Committees that dealt with the bills originally.

9. COMMITTEE LEADERS Committee Chairpersons: they are chosen from-
Majority Party
Seniority System