1. Congressional Committees and Staff

2. Purposes of Committees
Committees ease Congressional workload by dividing work among smaller groups, allowing members to specialize on key issues
Committees allow members to discuss and select the most important bills Congress will consider
Committees hold investigate public hearings on key problems and issues to inform the public

3. Kinds of Committees Standing Committee Select Committee
Joint Committee
Conference Committees
Oversee bills dealing with certain issues
Study one issue and report their findings
Made up of members from both houses
Work out the differences when the House and Senate pass conflicting versions of the same bill

4. Choosing Committee Members
Membership in committees is 1 key role played by members of Congress
Membership on certain committees:
Helps members to build reputations and to increase their chances for reelection
Gives members a chance to influence important national legislation
Enables members to influence other members since those committees deal with issues that are important to all members

5. Choosing Committee Members
In both houses, both parties assign members to the standing committees
The party leaders and chairpersons of the standing committees are the most powerful members of Congress
Standing committee chairperson make key decisions about the work of their committees, though their power has been reduced since 1970
Seniority traditionally guided the election of chairpersons until the 1970s

6. Congressional Staff Role
Lawmakers rely on their staffs to help with many congressional duties
As congressional workloads have increased, staff duties have become increasingly important as well

7. Congressional Staff Growth
Prior to 1946, Congress had no staff aides. In recent decades, increased complexity has resulted in much larger congressional staffs
Congressional staffs provide expert help on key issues and help members of Congress serve constituents’ growing demands

8. Personal Staff
Members’ personal staffs are divided so that some staffers work in Washington and others work in members’ home states
Administrative assistants run lawmakers’ offices, supervise schedules, and advise on political matters
Legislative assistants keep lawmakers well informed about bills, assist in committee work, write speeches, and keep track of the workflow
Caseworkers are congressional personal staff members who handle requests from constituents; they usually staff members’ offices in their home states

9. Committee Staff
Committee staffs work for congressional committees, assisting chairpersons as bills proceed through various committees to the floor
Committee staff members often become experts in the areas their committees handle; critics argue that staff members are unelected, yet they have a large role in shaping legislation

10. Support Agencies
The Library of Congress provides information requested by Congress, congressional staff, and committees
The Congressional Budget Office coordinates budget making, studies presidential budget proposals, projects new program costs, and tracks congressional spending
The General Accounting Office is the watchdog over the spending of funds appropriated by Congress, informing members about specific program costs
The Government Printing Office serves the federal government by printing the Congressional Record, a complete account of all congressional speeches and testimony, and the Statistical Abstract of the United States, an annual publication