Abstract

Congressional committees have served as the primary instruments by which Congress has managed its daily business for most of the last two centuries. From their origins as temporary, ad hoc, legislative drafting bodies at the beginning of the Republic, they have acquired the characteristics of set jurisdictions, professional staffs and relative permanence. Besides their role in crafting legislation, they have become the instruments through which Congress oversees executive agencies and participates in formulating and overseeing national policy. Congressional committees fall into four broad categories: standing, select, special and joint. Of the four, standing committees are the workhorses of Congress. They are permanent bodies 1 created by resolution or statute and authorized to examine and report out legislation to the full House or Senate. They also oversee legislation and federal agencies within their jurisdiction, and conduct hearings and investigations. A few examples of standing committees include the House and Senate committees on agriculture, appropriations, armed services, financial institutions (or banking), commerce and foreign relations, which, as their names suggest, have

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