Congressional Committees and Staff Purposes of Committees Committees

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Congressional Committees and Staff

Congressional Committees and Staff

Purposes of Committees • Committees ease Congressional workload by dividing work among smaller groups,

Purposes of Committees • Committees ease Congressional workload by dividing work among smaller groups, allowing members to specialize on key issues • Committees allow members to discuss and select the most important bills Congress will consider • Committees hold investigate public hearings on key problems and issues to inform the public

Kinds of Committees • Standing Committee • Oversee bills dealing with certain issues •

Kinds of Committees • Standing Committee • Oversee bills dealing with certain issues • Select Committee • Study one issue and report their findings • Joint Committee • Made up of members from both houses • Conference Committees • Work out the differences when the House and Senate pass conflicting versions of the same bill

Choosing Committee Members • Membership in committees is 1 key role played by members

Choosing Committee Members • Membership in committees is 1 key role played by members of Congress • Membership on certain committees: • Helps members to build reputations and to increase their chances for reelection • Gives members a chance to influence important national legislation • Enables members to influence other members since those committees deal with issues that are important to all members

Choosing Committee Members • In both houses, both parties assign members to the standing

Choosing Committee Members • In both houses, both parties assign members to the standing committees • The party leaders and chairpersons of the standing committees are the most powerful members of Congress • Standing committee chairperson make key decisions about the work of their committees, though their power has been reduced since 1970 • Seniority traditionally guided the election of chairpersons until the 1970 s

Congressional Staff Role • Lawmakers rely on their staffs to help with many congressional

Congressional Staff Role • Lawmakers rely on their staffs to help with many congressional duties • As congressional workloads have increased, staff duties have become increasingly important as well

Congressional Staff Growth • Prior to 1946, Congress had no staff aides. In recent

Congressional Staff Growth • Prior to 1946, Congress had no staff aides. In recent decades, increased complexity has resulted in much larger congressional staffs • Congressional staffs provide expert help on key issues and help members of Congress serve constituents’ growing demands

Personal Staff • Members’ personal staffs are divided so that some staffers work in

Personal Staff • Members’ personal staffs are divided so that some staffers work in Washington and others work in members’ home states • Administrative assistants run lawmakers’ offices, supervise schedules, and advise on political matters • Legislative assistants keep lawmakers well informed about bills, assist in committee work, write speeches, and keep track of the workflow • Caseworkers are congressional personal staff members who handle requests from constituents; they usually staff members’ offices in their home states

Committee Staff • Committee staffs work for congressional committees, assisting chairpersons as bills proceed

Committee Staff • Committee staffs work for congressional committees, assisting chairpersons as bills proceed through various committees to the floor • Committee staff members often become experts in the areas their committees handle; critics argue that staff members are unelected, yet they have a large role in shaping legislation

Support Agencies • The Library of Congress provides information requested by Congress, congressional staff,

Support Agencies • The Library of Congress provides information requested by Congress, congressional staff, and committees • The Congressional Budget Office coordinates budget making, studies presidential budget proposals, projects new program costs, and tracks congressional spending • The General Accounting Office is the watchdog over the spending of funds appropriated by Congress, informing members about specific program costs • The Government Printing Office serves the federal government by printing the Congressional Record, a complete account of all congressional speeches and testimony, and the Statistical Abstract of the United States, an annual publication