Congressional committees are specialized groups that divide the work of Congress, select bills for consideration, and conduct public hearings. They include various types such as standing, subcommittees, select, joint, and conference committees, each serving distinct purposes and often wielding significant power. The composition and leadership of these committees are determined by the majority party, with seniority playing a key role in member assignments.

1. Congressional
Committees

2. Purpose of Committees
• To divide work of Congress into smaller
specialized groups
• To select bills that will be allowed to
move forward
• To hold public hearings and
investigations

3. Committee Hearings

4. General Truths About
All Committees
• Party in power selects chairperson
• Membership in each committee is divided
in proportion to percentage of control in
House/Senate
• All committees have
subcommittees

5. • Members of Congress fight for certain
chairperson positions.
• Chairpersons often have great power.
• Certain committees are more prestigious.
• Each member of Congress can only serve
on a limited number of committees.
General Truths About
All Committees

6. Unwritten Rule:
Seniority
System
General Truths About
All Committees

7. Kinds of Committees
• Standing Committees
• Subcommittees
• Select Committees
• Joint Committees
• Conference Committees

8. Standing Committees
• They are permanent committees.
• They represent major areas of
government.

9. Subcommittees
• Work with a smaller part of the larger
committee’s responsibilities.
• These subcommittees are usually
permanent but change occasionally.

10. Subcommittee Example
Ways and Means Committee
• Health
• Human Resources
• Oversight
• Select Revenue Measures
• Social Security
• Trade

11. Select Committees
• Usually created to study one specific issue
• Usually deal with some large issue of
great concern
• Usually temporary
• Purpose: Investigate
and report findings to
House or Senate

12. Joint Committees
• Have members from both House and Senate
• Serve as study groups
• Report findings to House and Senate
• Limited authority since representing both
House and Senate

13. Conference Committees
• Members from both House and Senate
• Temporary – for one bill only
• Only Job = Negotiate the final form of a bill
• Report the bill back to both House and
Senate

14. Powerful Committees
House
• Rules
• Ways and Means
(taxation, tariffs and
other revenue raising
legislation)
• Appropriations (where
the money goes, how
much)
Senate
• Foreign Relations
• Finance (like the Ways
and Means, but also
deals with Social
Security)
• Appropriations