Committees

Question 1

Congressional Committee

Answer 1

smaller groups of members of Congress that focus on a particular policy area.

Examples 🡪 There are committees on (among others) agriculture, the armed services, education, labor, energy, the federal budget, natural resources, homeland security, etc.

Question 2

Committees are…

Answer 2

where most of the work in Congress occurs

Question 3

What are the functions of committees?

Answer 3

• Reviewing / rewriting bills.
• Conducting investigations into government officials / scandals.
• Conduct hearings for presidential nominees.

Question 4

Standing Committee

Answer 4

these are the permanent committees that exist, some of which exist in both chambers of Congress (they cannot be gotten rid of – cover important areas of policy)

Ex. 🡪 House Appropriations Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee

Question 5

Joint Committee

Answer 5

Committees that have members from both the House and the Senate on them.

• Most joint committees are also permanent, but some are temporary to deal with specific issues.
  Ex. 🡪 Joint Committee on the Electoral Process (permanent), Joint Committee on the Conduct of War during the Civil War (temporary).

Question 6

Conference Committee

Answer 6

committees that take House and Senate versions of a bill and negotiate them into one final bill.

They are not always required in the bill process, usually only for the most controversial bills.
*This is the only role of a conference committee

Question 7

Select (special) Committee

Answer 7

committees that have the power to investigate (individuals or events that occurred).

1) These are created to investigate specific problems (ex. Jan. 6, Watergate)
2) Once the issue has been investigated, the committee is dissolved.

Question 8

Subcommittees

Answer 8

smaller “committees within a committee” that focus on more specific subjects within a committee’s topic.