1. Congressional Committees

2. Learning Objectives
To identify the structure and role of the committee system
To understand the role and powers of; Standing Committees House Rules Committee Conference Committees Select Committees Committee Chairs

4. p
Standing Committees
Roles
Powers

5. Standing Committees Roles Powers
Permanent policy-specialist committees
Membership proportionate to majority/minority parties
Conduct committee stage of legislation
Investigations into policy area
Confirmation of presidential appointments (Senate)
Hold ‘hearings’ and call ‘witnesses’
Question witnesses
Power to help chambers manage their workload
Can not legislate
Can not require executive to comply
Can not implement policies

6. Explain the role of congressional standing committees.
SENATE Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans' Affairs
HOUSE Agriculture
Appropriations
Armed Services
Budget
Education and the Workforce
Energy and Commerce
Ethics
Financial Services
Foreign Affairs
Homeland Security
House Administration
Judiciary
Natural Resources
Oversight and Government Reform
Rules
Science, Space, and Technology
Small Business
Transportation and Infrastructure
Veterans’ Affairs
Ways and Means
Intelligence

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House Rules Committee
Roles
Powers

8. House Rules Committee p195 Roles Powers A standing committee
Responsible for prioritising bills coming from the committee stage on to the House floor for 2nd readings
‘vital legislative role’
Sets out rules for debate
Membership smaller and more skewed to majority party
Chair is considered one of the most influential posts in Congress

9. Why is the house rules committee so important?

10. Conference Committeesp
Conference Committees
Roles
Powers

11. Conference Committees
Roles
Powers
Reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill
Set up to consider one particular bill (ad hoc)
May be reconvened if version not agreed by a vote
Used less frequently – leadership usually resolve differences
Version must be agreed by vote on floor of each house
Usually draw up the final version of a bill
Power checked – House or Senate can refuse to sign up to compromise version

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Select Committees
Roles
Powers

13. Select Committees Roles Powers
Known as special or investigative committees
Set up to investigate a particular issue (ad hoc)
Standing committees have an investigative function – not within policy area or time consuming
Hold ‘hearings’ and call ‘witnesses’
Question witnesses

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Committee Chairs
Background
Powers

15. Committee Chairs Background Powers Drawn from majority party
Seniority rule
Ranking minority members
Term limits
Control committee’s agenda
Decide when committee will meet
Control the committee’s budget
Influence the membership, meetings and hearings of sub-committees
Supervise a sizeable committee staff
Serve as spokesperson on the committee’s policy area within Congress, to the White House and in the media
Make scheduling requests
Report legislation to the floor