Which senate committee is most powerful

This committee has jurisdiction over education and workforce issues. They are engaged in workforce issues in the health care reform debate.

Senate and House Committees on Appropriations These committees have jurisdiction over legislation covering government spending. These committees write legislation that allocates federal funds to the numerous government agencies, departments, and organizations on an annual basis.

Spending bills are the only laws that are required to be passed annually, and all spending bills must originate within the House Appropriations Committee. These committees are uniquely focused on the details of the federal budget, drafting of the budget resolution, and compiling and reconciling legislation.

The price of a bill is critical when trying to secure support from both Republicans and Democrats. Staffers of Middle Eastern and North African origin, who are counted in one category, are the least represented on the Democratic side.

Seventeen of the 20 committees are without someone from that group. Native Americans, Native Hawaiians and Alaska Natives — also counted in one category — are a close second.

Skip to Content. Senate Appropriations ranking member Patrick Leahy appears in the Capitol last year. Three of the four Senate committees with the least diverse Democratic staffs this year are also the most powerful. Facebook Twitter Email Reddit. The women issue The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Rules and Administration Committee are tied for the highest proportion of women, who make up 67 percent of their Democratic staffs. Other demographics Staffers of Middle Eastern and North African origin, who are counted in one category, are the least represented on the Democratic side.

In the House, committee assignments can be a ticket to visibility and influence. Committees provide House members with a platform for attracting media attention as journalists will seek them out as policy specialists. Senate committee assignments are not as strongly linked to press visibility as virtually every senator is appointed to at least one powerful committee. The average senator serves on eleven committees and subcommittees, while the average House member serves on five.

This practice of using powerful exhibits to attract media attention to issues continues today. Service on powerful subcommittees can provide a platform for attracting media attention. In , the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency staged three days of hearings in New York City as part of its investigation into allegations brought by Senator Estes Kefauver D-TN , a subcommittee member, that violent comic books could turn children into criminals.

Kefauver anticipated that the press generated by these hearings would help him gain publicity for a bid to get on the Democratic presidential ticket. He lost the presidential nomination battle but ended up the vice presidential candidate for the losing side. Committees are powerful gatekeepers.

They decide the fate of bills by determining which ones will move forward and be considered by the full House and Senate. Committee members have tremendous influence over the drafting and rewriting of legislation. They have access to experts and information, which gives them an advantage when debating bills on the floor. Kenneth A. Shepsle and Barry R. Committee chairs are especially influential, as they are able to employ tactics that can make or break bills. Most committee work receives limited media coverage.

Investigative hearings are the exception, as they can provide opportunities for high drama. Conducting investigations is one of the most public activities in which congressional committees engage. High-profile investigations in the s included an inquiry into the mismanagement of the Teapot Dome oil reserves.

During the Great Depression of the s, Congress conducted an investigation of the stock market, targeting Wall Street once again. Newspapers were willing to devote much front-page ink to these hearings, as reports on the hearings increased newspaper readership.

In , Senator Kefauver held hearings investigating organized crime that drew 30 million television viewers at a time when the medium was new to American homes. David R. The Senate convened a special committee to investigate the Watergate burglaries and cover-up in The Watergate hearings Senate investigation in into the burglaries at the Democratic National Committee headquarters that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.