1. Chapter 5: The Organization of Congress

2.  Both the House and the Senate depend on committees  Thousands of bills proposed each session.  Important purposes:  Congress can divide work among smaller groups.  Committees select bills that are to receive further consideration.  Help the public learn about key problems and issues facing the nation.

3.  Standing Committees  Permanent groups to oversee bills that deal with certain kinds of issues. ▪ These continue from one congress to the next  House and Senate create their own standing committees  Majority party selects chairperson for each standing committee.

4. HOUSE  Agriculture  Appropriations  Armed Services  Financial Services  Judiciary  Small Business  Veterans’ Affairs  Ways and Means SENATE  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry  Appropriations  Armed Services  Finance  Judiciary  Veterans’ Affairs

5.  Subcommittees  Small group specializing in a subcategory of its standing committee’s responsibility.  Usually continue from one Congress to the next.  Select Committees  Temporary committees that study one specific issue  Usually last for no more than one term of Congress.

6.  Joint Committees  Committees made up of members from the House and Senate  Act as a study group that reports findings back to both houses  Can be temporary or permanent  Do not have the authority to propose legislation to Congress.

7.  Conference Committees  Temporary set up when the House and Senate have passed different versions of the same bill.  Members come from House and Senate  Job: resolve the difference between the two versions of the bill.  The compromise bill is called a conference report.

9.  Strengthens member’s career.  Political parties assign members to standing committees.  Chairpersons of standing committees are some of the most important members of Congress.

10. MO BROOKSCOMMITTEES  House Armed Services  Science, Space, and Technology