Types of Committee US

• Standing Committees

  Pass legislation and scrutinises the executive branch

  Senate standing committees begin confirmation of appointments
• House Rules Committee

  Timetables legislation in the House of Representatives
• Conference Committees

  A joint House and Senate committee that reconciles differences in legislation
• Select Committees

  Investigative committees, special and ad hoc
• Appropriations committee (Senate) - holds power of the purse, exclusive committee on the budget, bipartisan approach, Pork Barrel politics

  Members on the committee are likely to be reelected
• Ways and Means Committee (House) - standing committee with a Republican majority

  Social security system, Medicare, taxation, welfare reform, Nafta and Cafta
• Standing committees are permanent and only focus on specific areas of policy. They have experts in their field to recommend amendments to legislation

  Many bills fail and a large number are pigeonholed