Congress: Comittees

Question 1

What is a congressional committee?

Answer 1

-a group of members of Congress with goal to develop a specific part.

Question 2

What are the purposes are having Committees in Congress?

Answer 2

• Division of Labor: Develop expertise in a specific area
• Write Legislation
• Investigation: part of oversight ( enumerated power)

Question 3

What are the powers of a Committees in Congress?

Answer 3

1. Collect Information- in depth research to write laws
2. Draft Legislation- ability to write laws and be there when it’s written
3. Quasi Judicial- Similar to power of federal courts
4. Agenda Setting- Last words for on which a bill goes beyond a vote.

Question 4

What are the Types of Committees in Congress?

Answer 4

• Standing vs Select
• -> Standing- Is permeant because it deals with part of law that congress always revisits
• ->Select- Temporary committee dissolves after job is finished
• Legislation vs. non-legislation
• -> Legislation has the power to write laws and non-legislation does not.
• Intra-Chamber vs. Inter Chamber
• ->Intra Chamber has both Senator and Representatives
• ->Inter Chamber main part is the conference committee

Question 5

What is the Conference Committee?

Answer 5

• Type is the inter chamber congress

- Appointed to have a compromise between the Senate and the House version of a bill.

Question 6

What are Sub Committees?

Answer 6

• Committees with a committee, a group parts off from the committee
• Found in the House of Reps and sometimes in Senate

Question 7

What is a Chair?

Answer 7

• Is the person in charge of a committee

- Gatekeeping

Question 8

What is the importance of Congress Committee in the law making process?

Answer 8

-Can investigate before making a law
-Ability to write laws and be present when written to have influence
Can determine the status of bill through revise, revoke, or ignoring the bill.
-A bill must have committee approval before reaching the floor
-Gatekeeping: decide which bills die in committee or move to floor.