American Politics Today - Essentials (3rd Ed)

278 CHAPTER 9|CONGRESS

or defense contractors in their districts will want to be on the Armed Services

Committee.

However, the committee system does not exist simply to further members’

electoral goals. The structure of committees creates more expertise than if the

policy process were more ad hoc.^21 This expertise provides collective benefi ts to

the rest of the members because it helps reduce uncertainty about policy out-

comes. By deferring to expert committees, members are able to achieve benefi -

cial outcomes while using their own time more effi ciently.

Committees also serve the policy needs of the majority party, largely because

it controls a majority of seats on every committee. The party ratios on each com-

mittee generally refl ect the partisan distribution in the overall chamber, but the

majority party gives itself somewhat larger majorities on the important commit-

tees such as Ways and Means (which controls tax policy), Appropriations, and

Rules. The Rules Committee is important to the majority party because it struc-

tures the nature of debate in the House by setting the length of debate and the type

TABLETABLE » »^ 5.19.2

CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES

Equivalent or similar committees in both chambers are listed across from each other.

HOUSE COMMITTEES

Agriculture
Appropriations
Armed Services
Budget
Education and Workforce
Energy and Commerce
Ethics
Financial Services
Foreign Affairs
Homeland Security
House Administration
Select Committee on Intelligence
Judiciary
Natural Resources
Small Business
Transportation and Infrastructure
Veterans’ Affairs
Ways and Means
The committees below are specifi c to one chamber.
Oversight and Government Reform
Rules
Science, Space, and Technology

SENATE COMMITTEES

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Appropriations

Armed Services

Budget

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Select Committee on Ethics

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Foreign Relations

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Rules and Administration

Select Committee on Intelligence

Judiciary

Energy and Natural Resources

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Environment and Public Works

Veterans’ Affairs

Finance

Specifi c to one chamber

Special Committee on Aging

Indian Affairs

JOINT COMMITTEES

Joint Economic Committee

Joint Committee on the Library

Joint Committee on Printing

Joint Committee on Taxation