Volume 19, Number 3, February 2010
Revision
Congressional committees
Paul Fairclough
Standing committees
Standing committees are permanent, operating in both House and Senate. Described as ‘little
legislatures’, they have the power to amend and even kill bills (by pigeon-holing them). The
committee chairperson has a key role in determining the fate of any bills passing through their
committee. They set the agenda and control the organisation of sub-committees. As a result
committee chairs are often courted by the executive.
Standing committees also have a role in the oversight of their respective executive departments. In
this function they are well resourced and have the legal power of subpoena — unlike their UK
counterparts.
Select committees
Select committees are usually set up for more specific purposes and are non-permanent. Notable
examples include those set up to investigate the Watergate scandal and, later, Iran-Contra.
Conference committees
Conference committees (sometimes known as joint-action or reconciliation committees), resolve
differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill, producing a common version that can be
passed on to the president for his approval.
Key Point: it is difficult to overestimate the importance of standing committees within the US system
of government. Within the legislative process such committees consider bills before the second
reading (unlike the UK). Only 3–5% of those bills introduced actually pass into law, with many of the
remainder dying in committee. The House Rules Committee has a role even more crucial than other
US standing committees, as it timetables bills and assigns them the ‘rule’ that will determine how
vulnerable they are to amendment.
Philip Allan Updates © 2010
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Quick test: Congressional Committees
(1) Identify the roles performed by the various House and Senate committees.
(2) What powers and resources do US Standing Committees possess?
(3) How important is the role played by Standing Committee chairs?
(3) Why is the House Rules Committee so important?
Answers
(1) Standing committees operate in both chambers. They are permanent and have both legislative and
oversight functions. US Select (Special) committees are usually set up for more specific purposes and
are not permanent. Conference Committees, resolve conflicts between the House and Senate
versions of bills.
(2) Described as ‘little legislatures’, they have the power to amend and even kill bills (by pigeon-holing
them). US Standing committees are well resourced and have the power of subpoena – unlike their UK
counterparts.
Chairs prioritise the bills brought before committee. They set the agenda and control the organisation
of sub-committees. Chairs are often courted by the executive and often secure significant benefits for
their home districts by giving a bill easy passage.
(3) Its importance rests upon its role in timetabling bills and assigning them a ‘rule’ that will determine
how vulnerable they are to amendment.
Philip Allan Updates © 2010
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