congressional committees Flashcards
controls the legislative process, including the selection of congressional leaders
majority party
the caucus meet regularly in private closed sessions
set legislative agendas
select committee members and chairs
held elections to choose various floor leaders
oversee the four hill committees
the largest caucuses are the
party caucuses
is the presiding officer of the chamber
speaker of the house
the speaker is second in presidential succession, after the vice president
25th amendment
house majority leader
known as the floor leader
the floor leader of the opposition party
house minority party
ensures that all party members are present when important measures are to be voted upon
majority and minority whips
their job is to assist the whips and keep tabs on their assigned state delegations
chief deputy whips
powers advice and consent
ratification of treaties,
confirmation of cabinet secretaries,
supreme court justices, federal judges
the senate is considered prestigious
due to its longer terms, smaller size, and statewide constituencies
article 1, section 3, cl 4 formally makes the VP the presiding officer of the Senate
vice president
By tradition the senior member of the majority party. This is an honorific post with few duties
President Pro Tempore
senate majority and minority leaders
serve as the chief senate spokesperson for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate
steering and policy committee
its primary purpose is to assign fellow party members to other committees
chair
can call meetings
set agendas
control staff and funds
standing committees
they are permenant
house committee on ways and means
the chief tax writing committee
committee on appropriations
it is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government
united states house committee on rules
decide for how long and under what rules the full body will debate a bill
it has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the senate
senate committee on appropriations
committee has enormous power to bring home special projects
pork barrel spending
senate committee on finance
concerned with issues relating of the raising of revenues, through such means as taxes and tariffs
senate committee on commerce
highway safety
interstate commerce
sports
typically organized on a temporary basis
select or special committee
conference committee
made up of members of each chamber;
create a single version of a bill from the house and the senate versions before it can be sent ba ck in identical language to both chambers for a vote
