WHERE MOST OF THE WORK IN
CONGRESS IS DONE
 Helps
the House and Senate work effectively
 Ease the workload of representatives
 Allows members to specialize on issues their
committees consider

(impossible for lawmakers to know everything
about everything)
 Where
lawmakers work out compromises
 Help the public learn about legislative
(hearings)
Standing
 Permanent:
Committees
Carry from one session to the
next.
 House and Senate each create their own

Can be added or eliminated
 Power
party!
in committees is relative to majority
 Political
Party explanation continued: In
House IF:


60% of members are Republican …60 % of
members of each standing committee are
Republican
Committee with 10 members has how many
Republicans serving on it????
 Specialize
in a subcategory of the standing
committees responsibility
 Usually continue from one session of
Congress to the next but the majority party
may make changes

104th Congress limited standing committees to no
more than 5 subcommittees.
 Temporary
committees created to study one
specific issue and report their findings to the
Senate or House.
 Issues they may study include:



Matters of great public concern
Overlooked problems (hunger)
Problems of interest groups (small business
owners)
 Usually
last one session but can be renewed
 Made
up of members of both the House and
Senate

May be temporary or permanent
 Act
as study groups with responsibility for
reporting their findings back to the House
and Senate
 Do not have authority to deal directly with
bills or to propose legislation
 Joint
Committees DO have the authority to
study controversial issues such as atomic
energy, defense, and taxation.
 Important!

Can make a career!



May increase chances for reelection
Allows lawmaker to influence national policy
May allow an individual to influence other members of
Congress.
 Political
Parties assign members to
committees (in both the House and Senate)
 Newly elect members may request an
assignment or a veteran lawmaker may
request a transfer.
 (Can only serve on a limited number of
standing and subcommittees.)
 Some
of the most powerful members of
Congress.
 Decide:




When committees will meet
Which bills they will consider and for how long
Decide when hearings will be held
Which witnesses will be called to testify for or
against a bill.


May hire committee staff members and control the
budget
Manage floor debates that take place on their bills.