Chapter 12 Section 2
The HOR and Senate are too large to
conduct all business as a whole group.
 There is so much legislation that must be
reviewed that neither house would be able
to discuss it all if they tried to do it as a
whole.
 To be able to accomplish as much as possible
each house directs legislation to different
committees based on the issue it relates to.
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Each committee in the HOR has 10 to 75
members.
Each representative usually serves on 1 or 2
committees.
Each committee in the Senate has 14 to 28
members.
Each Senator usually serves on 3 or 4
committees.
Senators and representatives are assigned to
committees based on their areas of expertise.
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Most bills are considered in committees so the
fate of each bill relies on the committee to which
it was assigned.
Many interest groups and lobbyists will attend
committee meetings to try to convince
committee members to pass a piece of
legislation that is important to them.
Approximately 8,000 bills go into committees
during each session of Congress. Only about 10%
make it to the floor to be considered by the
entire House or Senate.
There are 4 types of Congressional committees.
1. Standing Committees – permanent
committees in Congress. MOST IMPORTANT!
Consider and shape most bills that come to
Congress each year.
2. Select Committees – temporarily formed for
specific purposes, often to study a particular
issue. They usually do not draft legislation.
(Example: committees that investigated the
assassinations of JFK and MLK)
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4.
Joint Committees – similar to select
committees, but have members from the
HOR and Senate. These are used to conduct
business between the two houses.
Conference Committee – a created only
when the HOR and Senate need to
compromise on two different versions of the
same bill. Once this committee agrees on
one version of the bill, it is sent back to both
houses for approval.
House Standing Committees
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Agriculture
Appropriations -- $$$
Armed Services
Budget
Education & Workforce
Energy & Commerce
Financial Services
Gov’t Reform
House Administration
International Relations
Judiciary
Resources
Rules
Science
Small Business
Standards of Official
Conduct
Transportation &
Infrastructure
Veterans Affairs
Ways & Means
Joint Committees
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Economic
The Library
Printing
Taxation
Senate Standing Committees
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Agriculture, Nutrition &
Forestry
Appropriations
Armed Services
Banking, Housing &
Urban Affairs
Budget
Commerce, Science &
Transportation
Energy & Natural
Resources
Environment & Public
Works
Finance
Foreign Relations
Gov’t Affairs
Indian Affairs
Judiciary
Health, Education,
Labor & Pensions
Rules & Administration
Small Business &
Entrepreneurship
Veterans Affairs
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Called the “traffic cop” in the HOR.
Does not exist in the Senate.
Used to screen the bills that are introduced to
the HOR each term.
Sets up rules for debate on the bill (how long can
it be discussed, etc.)
Schedules a time for the bill to be considered on
the House floor.
Very powerful!!! Can push bills to the top or
bottom of the calendar in order to help or hurt its
chances of being passed.