Committee System Seniority Rule This custom not a

Committee System

Seniority Rule • This custom (not a rule or law) says that the most important Congressional leadership roles go to the members who have served the longest • Seniors have privileges over Freshmen

Introduction to Committees • • Committee Chairperson Committee Appointment Considerations: 1. Background 2. Party Affiliation 3. Seniority Rule Steering Committee on Committees

Types of Committees • • Standing Committee Select Committee Joint Committee Conference Committee

Standing Committee • Permanent Committee • Specializes in one subject, and handles bills relating to that subject (subject matter) • May be broken down into smaller subcommittees

Example (U. S. Senate Committee) Committee Western Hemisphere U. S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Near Eastern and South and Central Asia African Affairs Eastern Asia and Pacific Sub Committees European Affairs

Example (U. S. Senate Committee) U. S. Senate Armed Services Committee Air Land Emerging threats and capabilities Personnel Readiness and Management Support Sub Committees Sea Strategic Power Forces

House Standing Committees • • • Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education/Workforce Energy/Commerce Financial Services Government Reform House Administration International Relations • • Judiciary Resources Rules Science Small Business Standards of Conduct Transportation and Infrastructure • Veterans Affairs • Ways and Means

Senate Standing Committees • • Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs • Commerce, Science, and Transportation • Energy and Natural Resources • Environment and Public Works • • • Finance Foreign Relations Government Affairs Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Indian Affairs Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business Veterans Affairs

Select Committee • Usually Temporary • Created for a specific purpose, such as conducting an investigation • Examples: US Senate (Select Committees) • Select Committee on Aging • Select Committee on Intelligence • Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction

Joint Committee • Permanent or Temporary • Includes members of both the House and Senate so that both houses do not duplicate work Economic Library Printing Taxation

Conference Committee • Temporary Committee • Formed to work out a compromise on a bill when the House and Senate have passed different versions of the same bill

Caucuses • Caucuses are informal groups formed by members of Congress who share a common purpose or a set of goals. They elect the party leadership. Examples: • Congressional Black Caucus • Women’s Caucus • Democratic Caucus • Republican Caucus