How many standing* committees does Congress currently have?

Critical Analysis

Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:

1. *Standing Committees are semi-permanent committees or panels established under the standing rules of the Senate and House and specialize in the consideration of particular subject areas. How many standing* (semi-permanent) committees does Congress currently have?

2. Why do you think there are so many committees?

3. Congressional committees consider bills and issues and oversee agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions. Which chamber of congress has more standing committees?

4. Why do you think that is?

5. Some Congresspeople try to join committees that have a lot of impact on their state or district. Other members try to join committees that have a lot of appropriations (spending). What committee listed above would you most want to join if you were a congressperson representing your state or district?

6. Each party assigns, by resolution, its own members to committees, and each committee distributes its members among subcommittees. The majority party in each chamber has a majority of members in each committee and selects the chairperson (leader) of each committee. What is the current majority party in the U.S. House and in the U.S. Senate?

7. Committees have subcommittees which focus or specific topics within the scope of the larger committee. For example, the House Foreign Affairs Committee has the following subcommittees:

   Subcommittee on Africa

   Subcommittee on Europe

   Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations

   Subcommittee on Indo-Pacific

   Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia

   Subcommittee on Oversight & Accountability

   Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere

   Members of what party chair each of the subcommittees?

8. Congressional hearings often include oral testimony from members of the Executive branch. Explain how this job illustrates the concept of checks and balances.

9. It would be impossible for a member of congress to be an expert on every topic of importance to the United States. Congressional committees allow members of congress to become experts on specific areas and topics. Identify one cost (plus) and one benefit (minus) of policy specialization by Congresspeople.

10. President Woodrow Wilson wrote about Congress, “it is not far from the truth to say that Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.” What do you think Wilson meant by his quote and do you think it is true?

Write and Discuss

Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.

Act on your Learning

Check out this week’s committee schedule. Contact your member of the U.S. House and ask them about the committees they serve on.

Get Creative

Create a new congressional committee or subcommittee that you think would be really cool. For example, I think that under the Senate committee for Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry it would be cool to have a Senate subcommittee on Beagles and other dogs.

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