Committee System
Seniority Rule This custom (not a rule or law) says that the most important Congressional leadership roles go to the members who have served the longest Seniors have privileges over Freshmen
Introduction to Committees Chairperson Committee Appointment Appointment Considerations: 1. Background 2. Party Affiliation 3. Seniority Rule Steering Committee Committee on Committees
Types of Committees Standing Committee Select Committee Joint Committee Conference Committee
Standing Committee Permanent Committee Specializes in one subject, and handles bills relating to that subject (subject matter) May be broken down into smaller sub-committees
Example (U.S. Senate Committee) U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Committee Western Hemisphere Near Eastern and South and Central Asia African Affairs Eastern Asia and Pacific European Affairs Sub Committees
Example (U.S. Senate Committee) U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Committee Air Land Emerging threats and capabilities Personnel Readiness and Management Support Sea Power Strategic Forces Sub Committees
House Standing Committees Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education/Workforce Energy/Commerce Financial Services Government Reform House Administration International Relations Judiciary Resources Rules Science Small Business Standards of Conduct Transportation and Infrastructure Veterans Affairs Ways and Means
Senate Standing Committees Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Commerce, Science, and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Government Affairs Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Indian Affairs Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business Veterans Affairs
US Senate (Select Committees) Usually Temporary Created for a specific purpose, such as conducting an investigation Examples: US Senate (Select Committees) Select Committee on Aging Select Committee on Intelligence Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction
Joint Committee Permanent or Temporary Includes members of both the House and Senate so that both houses do not duplicate work Economic Library Printing Taxation
Conference Committee Temporary Committee Formed to work out a compromise on a bill when the House and Senate have passed different versions of the same bill
Caucuses Caucuses are informal groups formed by members of Congress who share a common purpose or a set of goals. They elect the party leadership. Examples: Congressional Black Caucus Women’s Caucus Democratic Caucus Republican Caucus