What is the role of the committee chairmen in Congress and why has it been criticised?
What is the role of the committee chairmen in Congress and why has it been criticised?
Being a committee chairman is a leading role in the governmental structure hence why this position is always the focus of controversy. It is the norm and the tradition to appoint those who bask great experience and are seen as a senior figure. This tradition notion has been challenged in recent times, because it was perceived to reward longevity over merit and, because chairmen were almost guaranteed re-election, was thought to lead to political complacency and abuse of power.
The speaker, Newt Gingrich, selected the congressmen who he believed to be most committed to the contract as the chairmen. The position has been criticised due to the fact it has been thought that congressmen have been unjustly appointed to the position, due to the length of time they have been in congress for rather than by merit.
It is echoed all around American politics that committee chairman is a powerful position and has a number of roles. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the symbol of the power and authority of the House. The Speaker's most prominent role is that of presiding officer of the House. In this capacity s/he administers proceedings on the House floor, including the power to recognize Members on the floor to speak or make motions and the power to appoint Members to conference committees. The Speaker also oversees much of the non-legislative business of the House, such as general control over the Hall of the House and the House side of the Capitol and service as the chairman of the House Office Building Commission. The Constitution does not spell out the political role of the Speaker. As the office has developed historically, however, it has taken on a clearly partisan cast, very different from the speakership of most Westminster-style legislatures, such as the Speaker of the British House of Commons, which is meant to be scrupulously non-partisan. The Speaker in the United States is, by tradition, the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives, outranking the Majority Leader. However, despite having the right to vote, the Speaker usually does not participate in debate and rarely votes on the floor.
