Chapter 12:2

Committees in Congress

Role of committees

• screen bills placed before Congress

• hold public hearings so that government officials and private citizens can offer opinions and/or expert testimony

Types of Committees

• standing committees• select committees• joint committees• conference committees

Standing committees

• have jurisdiction over bills of a certain type

• are often divided into smaller subcommittees

Select committees

• conduct studies and investigations rather than consider legislation

Joint committees• staffed by an equal number of

members from both the House and Senate

• give full congressional overview of a complex subject-report on findings to the Congress and the public

Conference committees

• adjust differences between the House and Senate versions of bills-produce a version of the bill that is acceptable in both houses

Appropriate

• to provide the money necessary to enact legislation-failure to provide such funds can effectively kill a bill

House Rules Committee• organizes the flow of legislation

from committees to the House floor

• provides rules for the bill:-when it will be considered-how long the debate may last-how to divide debate time

Committee assignment(s)

Republican and Democratic parties both have a Steering Committee:

• help make assignments• try to assign members based on

the expertise they could bring to the proceedings

Chairpersons• usually achieve and/or maintain

position based on seniority• schedule meetings• draw-up agendas• decide which bills will be heard• decides who goes on fact-finding

trips

Recent reforms of committee procedures

• chairpersons now elected by secret ballot

• no member is allowed to chair more than one committee

• a majority of a committee can call special meetings

New committee procedures(continued)

• committee members who disagree with the chairperson can have time to present their views and call witnesses

• all meetings are to be open to the public*

Subcommittees

• are increasingly more independent• now draft major laws• play a major role in managing

bills on the floor of the House and Senate