Congressional
Committees
Congressional
Committees
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Standing committees
Select committees
Joint Committees
Conference Committees
Congressional
Committees
• 104th congress (1995-1996)
• Contract with America
• Reduced number of committees in
both houses
• 103rd congress-252 committees
• 84th congress (1955-1956) 242
committees
Post 1995 reform
• Total committees- 198
• House
• went from 22 to 19 standing
committees
• Went from 115 sub committees to
84
Post 1995 reform
• Senate
• Maintained the 17 committees
• Reduced the number of sub
committees from 86 to 68
Party in committee
• The majority party maintains the
majority of the seats in each
committee
• The majority party determines the
chair of the committee ( HR-6 year
limit)
• Ratio is roughly the same as the
total congressional house
Standing Committees
• Most important• Propose legislation by reporting a
bill out to the full house or senate
• House members serve on two
committees
• An exception is if one is on an
exclusive committee
• Each Senator may serve on two
major and one minor committee
Exclusive Committees
• House of Reps
• Limit a representative to one
committee membership
• Exclusive committees
• Appropriations
• Rules
• Ways and Means
Committee rules
• House
• Chair elected by secret ballot in party
caucus
• No member chairs more than one
committee
• All committees with more than 20
members must have 4 subcommittees
• Increase committee and personal staffs
• Committee meetings public unless
members vote it closed.
Committee Rules
• Senate
• Committee meetings public unless
members vote to close them
• Committee chairs selected by
secret ballot at the request of 1/5th
of the party
• Committees to have larger staffs
Congressional Staffs
• In 1998 average representatives had
17 staffers and senators had 40.
• 103rd congress- 10,000 personal
staffers
• 3000 more employed with congressional
committees
• 3000 more employed in congressional
research agencies
• Largest growing part of bureaucracy
Congressional Staff
• Personal staffer duty•
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Answering mail
Handling problems
Mailing newsletters
Meeting with constituents
• 1/3 of staff is local
• Task is to get votes
Congressional Staff
• Most members of congress have
one local office
• Half have two or more
• Incumbent hard to beat because
of this
Congressional Staff
• Washington Staff members
• Read 6000 bills, aid in the enactment
of 600 laws per year
• Write bills
• Negotiate agreements
• Organize hearings
Congressional Staff
• Write questions for members to
ask witnesses
• Draft reports
• Meet with lobbyists and
administrators
• Meet with mass media
• Promote bosses
• Find and promote legislation
Staff Agencies
• Agencies that work for
Congress as a whole
• Gives Congress specialized
knowledge
Congressional Research
Service
• Congressional Research service
(CRS)
• Part of the Library of Congress
• Employs over 900 people
• Answers questions for Congress
members
• Over ¼ million questions per year
• Politically neutral
• Keeps track of major bill status
• Gives summaries of all bills- stored
electronically
General Accounting
Office
• General Accounting Office
(GAO)
• Routine financial audits
• Investigates agencies and
policies
• Makes recommendations on all
aspects of government
GAO
• Comptroller general- head of
agency
• Appointed by the President
• Serves 15 year term
• GAO employs 5000 people
• Some members permanently
assigned to work with
committees
Congressional Budget
Office
• Congressional Budget office (CBO)
• Created in 1974
• Advises Congress on the possible
economic effects of spending programs
• Provides information on the cost of
proposed legislation
• Prepares analysis of President’s budget
and economic projections
• Aids Congress in budget debates