Congressional Leadership and Committee Structures

Speaker of the House

Top leader in the House, 2nd in presidential line; enforces rules and keeps order; refers bills to committees, puts motions to a vote; assigns members to select committees and most of the Rules Committee; signs all passed bills; is able to debate and vote; always comes from the majority party

Majority Leader

Leads majority party, more influential than minority leader.

Minority Leader

Leads minority party, less influence than majority leader.

Party Whips

Assist floor leaders, ensure member attendance and votes; serve as a link between the floor leaders and the rest of the members; check in with members and report how many votes can be counted on; ensure members show up for votes

President of the Senate

Vice President, votes only to break ties.

President Pro Tempore

Senate leader in VP's absence, 3rd in succession; leading member of the majority party

Committee Chairpersons

Head of standing committees, chosen from majority party.

Standing Committees

Permanent committees that filter bills for consideration and play a primary role in lawmaking.

Subcommittees

Divisions of standing committees focusing on specific areas; may hold hearings and make recommendations to the full standing committee

Select Committees

Temporary committees for specific investigations or purposes; may hold hearings; senate’s select presidential campaign

Joint Committees

Composed of members from both houses of Congress; purpose may be investigate or simple perform routine functions

Conference Committees

Temporary committees to iron out the differences in a bill between houses; this committee creates a compromise bill

Floor Leaders

Party spokespersons elected to push party agendas; lead the strategy of the party; often serve as the party “mouthpiece” to the media and act as the party voice

Majority Whip

Current: Tom Emmer (R-MN), assists Majority Leader.

Minority Whip

Current: Katharine Clark (D-MA), assists Minority Leader.

Current Speaker of the House

Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), most powerful House position.

Committee Chairpersons Roles

Lead committees, determine which bills to focus on, determine meeting times, and hold hearings.

House Committees

20 standing committees filter bills in the House.

Senate Committees

16 standing committees filter bills in the Senate.

Committee Assignments

House: 1-2 committees; Senate: 3-4 committees.

Majority Party

Party with more seats in Congress, holds leadership.

Minority Party

Party with fewer seats in Congress, less power.

Current Majority Leader (Senate)

Chuck Schumer (D-NY), most powerful Senate position.

Current Minority Leader (Senate)

Mitch McConnell (R-KY), leads minority party in Senate.

Committee Seniority Rule

Traditionally used to select committee chairs.

Congressional Committees Purpose

Divides workload, allows specialization; they discuss bills, investigate, and do the work of law-making; several types include: standing committees, select committees, joint committees, and conference committees

Senate Judiciary Subcommittees

6 subcommittees specializing in judicial matters.