5.4 - Congressional Committees

When the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, how do they work out their differences?

• in a standing committee

• in a joint committee

• in a conference committee

• in a select committee

Which of the following is a power of committee chairs?

• can determine the bills the committee will consider

• can cast an absentee vote when unable to attend a meeting

• can require the committee to publish all members' votes

• can select all members of the committee

Which type of committee is set up to continue from one legislative session to the next?

• select committee

• standing committee

• conference committee

• joint committee

Which type of committee almost always has subcommittees?

• standing committee

• select committee

• joint committee

• conference committee

Why might the Senate create a select committee?

• to work with members of the House on a specific issue

• to coordinate the work of both houses on a bill

• to assume a large, ongoing responsibility, such as Armed Services

• to address a matter of great public concern at a given time

In practice, lawmakers usually limit this type of committee to handling routine matters.

• select committee

• joint committee

• conference committee

• standing committee

Why is assignment to the "right" committees important to members of Congress?

• can put them in the line of succession to the presidency

• enables them to appoint key supporters to government jobs

• enables them to act on bills important to their constituents

• can reduce their workload as some committees are busier than others

Which of the following is a function of congressional committees?

• shape the language of bills

• introduce bills

• pass bills into law

• conduct floor votes

How is party membership on committees usually divided in each house?

• in the same proportion as the party's strength in that house

• equally

• all committee seats go to majority party members

• each committee must have one member from the minority party

Which of these responsibilities would you expect to be assigned to a standing committee?

• study income trends of Americans and report back to both houses

• seek a compromise between the House and Senate in a dispute over a proposed minimum wage increase

• appropriate funds to government programs such as Medicare

• address the issue of energy independence, which is of great public concern at the moment