This task links to the Course Assessment Specification (CAS): The legislative branch - the role of committees.

You may find the Prezi presentation above and this short explainer video useful in helping you to understand the role of committees in the US.

A congressional committee is a legislative sub-organisation of the United States Congress. There are approximately 250 congressional committees and subcommittees, each responsible for a different function.  They are constituted by members of Congress.

In order to deal with the large volume and complex work of Congress, it distributes legislative, oversight, and internal administrative tasks among these committees and sub committees.

Both the House of Representatives and Senate have their own committees.  The preliminary work involved in any piece of legislation starts in committees and/or subcommittees of Congress.  Members of the committees and subcommittees conduct hearings and debates, and draft and revise proposed legislation. 

There are three main types of committees in Congress:

1. Standing
2. Select or Special
3. Joint.

The duty of these committees include gathering information; comparing and evaluating legislative alternatives; identifying policy problems; proposing solutions; identifying, deciding, and reporting measures for full chamber consideration; monitoring executive branch performance (oversight); and investigating allegations of wrongdoing.

Standing Committees are permanent panels and generally have legislative jurisdiction. Subcommittees handle specific areas of its parent committee’s work.  Subcommittees are formed by most Standing Committees to share specific tasks within the jurisdiction of that Standing committee.  Standing Committees consider bills and decide whether or not to recommend or approve them for consideration by their respective chambers.  Apart from this, Standing Committees also carry out oversight responsibility in monitoring agencies, programs, and activities within and outside their committee jurisdictions. 

Select or Special Committees generally handle oversight or housekeeping responsibilities. Other responsibilities of these committees are to confirm government appointees such as federal judges; investigate government officials or pressing national issues; identify issues suitable for legislative review; gather and evaluate information or ensure that specific government functions are carried out, like printing government documents or administering the Library of Congress.

Joint Committees include members from both House of Representatives and Senate and are permanent.  Joint Committees generally conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks.

The Committees do a lot of background work involved in the legislative process, apart from the other common responsibilities.  The Congressional Committees are often referred to as ‘mini-legislative units’ or ‘little legislatures’ and constitute the primary unit of the legislative process.  These Committees are very powerful organs in that they decide what subjects can become law in the United States. 

Your task is to find one example of each of the three types of committee. You may find this website helpful.

You can upload your findings to your student folder.