Congress receives over 9,000 bills in the course of a two-year period. Every bill goes to a committee, which either edits the bill, sends the bill to a congressional vote, or "kills" the bill (by ingnoring it).
Types of Committees
House Rules Committee - This committee, which exists only in the House of Representatives, reviews bills coming from a House committee before they go to the full House. The Speaker of the House appoints members to this committee.
Standing Committees - Permanent committees that handle bills in specific subject areas.
Joint Committees - Membership is drawn from both the House and the Senate to work on common policy areas.
Conference Committees - Formed when the Senate and the House pass a different version of the same bill.
Select Committees - Temorary committees created for a specific purpose.
Committee Vocabulary
Legislative Oversight - holding hearings to make sure that laws are being followed.
Committee Chair - A posistion on a committee that plays a dominate role in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees, and managing committee bills on the floor.
Committee Staff - Staff that organize hearings and research and write legislation.
Seniority System - A system used in committees. Members who have served on the committee the longest and whose party is the majority become the chairperson.