Chapter 5: The Organization of Congress
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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.

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.
HOUSE
SENATE
Agriculture
 Appropriations
 Armed Services
 Financial Services
 Judiciary
 Small Business
 Veterans’ Affairs
 Ways and Means


Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry
 Appropriations
 Armed Services
 Finance
 Judiciary
 Veterans’ Affairs

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.

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.

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.



Strengthens member’s career.
Political parties assign members to standing
committees.
Chairpersons of standing committees are
some of the most important members of
Congress.
MO BROOKS
COMMITTEES


House Armed Services
Science, Space, and
Technology