Committees are used in Congress to divide up legislative work, as Congress receives around 10,000 bills per year. Most legislative work is done in committees, which are comprised mostly of the majority party. Committee chairs are the most senior member of the majority party on the committee. They determine the committee's agenda and manage floor debates. There are several types of committees, including standing committees that consider specific subject matter areas, select committees for specific purposes, and joint committees with members from both the House and Senate.

1. Committees What are committees used for in everyday life? What about in Congress?

2. Why do we need committees in the legislative branch? Divide up the work that will be done Congress receives a lot of bills (almost 10,000 a year) How would they do it all by themselves?

3. Most of the legislative work of Congress occurs in Committees.

4. Who is in a committee? Majority of each house holds all the committee chairman seats The majority party will also hold a majority of the seats on each committee, effectively controlling all the business of a committee

5. Most bills receive their most thorough administration in these bodies; members of both bodies usually respect the recommendations that committees make.

6. Committee Chair The committee member of majority party with most seniority becomes chair

7. Committee Chair Duties They head standing committees in each chamber. This is important because of the bulk of the work is done in committees

8. Committee Chair Continued Decide when committee will meet, which bills they will take up, whether they will hold public hearings, what witnesses to call Manage the debate when the bill is called to the floor

9. Committee Assignments Determined by House and Senate leadership and a caucus of the two parties Members of Congress attempt to get on a committee that will allow them to do the most for their constituents

10. Numbers Reps are on 1-2 Committees, Senators are on 3-4

11. Committees sizes 9-75 members in the House 12-28 members in Senate

12. Subcommittees Often committees assign bills to smaller groups, subcommittees, for initial consideration MOST WORK IS DONE HERE!! Each subcommittee is responsible for a particular slice of the committees overall workload

13. Types of Committees Standing Select Joint Conference

14. Permanent committees in a legislative body to which bills in a specific subject matter area are concerned. These are the only ones that can propose legislation by reporting a bill out to the full House or Senate, with few exception. MEMBERS BECOME EXPERTS IN THIS AREA Standing Committees

15. Currently 20 in the House and 18 in Senate Fate of most bills is decided in the various standing committees, not on the floor of either house Most members try to win assignments on important committees

16. Examples of important committees HOUSE Ways and Means Appropriations Armed Service Judiciary

17. International relations House Rules Committee - traffic cop. Screens the bills, if it reaches the floor it has also cleared the House Rules Committee. Place bill on the calendar, limit debate time, determine allowed amendments

18. SENATE Foreign Relations Appropriations Finance Judiciary Armed Services Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs

19. Select Committees AKA Special Committees Panels set up for some specific purpose and most often for a limited time

20. Examples include Watergate or Iran Contra

21. Appointment to a special committee Speaker or the President of the Senate appoint with the help of leadership in each party

22. Joint Committees A committee composed of members of both houses Most are permanent and thus standing, but they can also be temporary/select Usually used to communicate to the public or for investigations, but generally do not send bills to the floor

23. Random Information Committees function by calling interested parties and expert witness who have some information to give

24. Pigeonhole a bill - Committees can vote a bill out to keep it from being considered in their house.

25. Congressional Research Service (CRS) Responds to congressional requests for information. Looks up facts and indicates arguments for and against, but DOES NOT RECOMMEND policy

26. General Accounting Office (GAO) Financial Audits of money spent by the executive branch. Investigatory agency

27. Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) Study and evaluate policies and programs with a significant use of or impact on technology Congressional Budget Office Advises Congress on the effects of spending and provides information about costs

28. Republican majority in the House of Representatives, elected in 1994, campaigned under a platform called the Contract with America A blueprint for the first 100 days Contract with America

29. Pledged within the first 100 days: Balance budget Amendment Crime bill that funds police and prisons Welfare reform Strengthen parental rights in education and child support enforcement Family tax cuts Stronger national defense Rise in Social Security earnings limit Job creation and regulatory reform policies Common sense legal reforms to stop frivolous lawsuits A first ever vote on term limits for members of Congress