Committees
Types of Committees
• 1.) Standing
committees
• 2.) Select or special
Committees
• 3.) Joint Committees
Standing Committees
• Permanent
• Most are subject-related (Judiciary, Foreign
Policy, Armed Services)
• Majority party holds majority membership of
each committee
Select/Special committees
• Temporary
• Set up for a specific purpose and for a limited
time
• Oversight functions-keep thing from going
wrong in govt.
• Investigations
• Example:
Remember this
story?
Joint Committees
• Made up of members from both houses
• Permanent
• Example: Joint Economic Committee
–
+
Conference committees
• Type of joint
committee
• Works differences in
Senate and House
versions of bills on
the same topic
• Creates a
“compromise bill”
before it is sent to
the President
Committees Chairpersons
• Strategic post
• Chosen by majority party
– Chairpersons are selected by seniority rule
– Rule states that the majority party member who
has the most consecutive years in congress has
seniority
Committee Chairpersons
• Duties
– Decides when committees will meet
– What bills to consider
– Whether there will be a public hearing or
witnesses
– Manages bill upon report committees