In congress standing committees have two factions and a third in the senate only. In congress the most important one is to conduct the committee stage of bills in legislative process which involves holding hearings on the bill which witnesses appear, they may be other members of congress, member from the relevant executive departments or agencies or even from the White House, representative from interest groups or professional bodies likely to be affected or ordinary members of the public. Witnesses make prepared statements in front of the committee and are then subjected to questions from committee members. The second function of congress is to conduct investigations within the committee’s policy area. In the senate the committees have a third function is to begin the confirmation process of numerous presidential appointments areas like Senate’s Judiciary and Foreign Relation committees.
Selected committees are sometimes known as special or investigative committees. They are set up to investigation either dose not fall within the policy area of one standing committee or is likely to be so time- consuming that a standing committee would become tied up with, thus preventing the standing committee from fulfilling its other function. There have been a number of high- profile select committees such as Senate committee on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or the House select committee on political assassination and joint select committees on both the Iran- Contra affair and the events of 11 September 2001.
Committees are good ways for a member of Congress to further the career in politics, as if you can get on a better committee, and therefore hope to be chair on the committee, so it show they can lead, and maybe run for president. As the chair of a committee has important powers like decide of when the committee will meet, control the committee’s budget, influence the membership, meeting and hearing of sun- committees, supervise a sizeable committee staff, serve as spokesperson on the committee’s policy area within congress, to the White House and media, make requests to the House Rule Committee (in the House) and the party leadership ( in the Senate) for scheduling of legislation on the House floor and report legislation to the floor of their respective chamber on behalf of the full committee. Chairing a congressional committee brings power, perks and publicity and for many this is the pinnacle of their congressional career.
Committees play significance to the function of congress as much of Congress work is done in committee; standing committees perform important function in both legislative process and the investigation of the executive branch, in the Senate standing committees begin the confirmation process of presidential appointments, The House Rule Committee plays an import role prioritising bills in the House, conference committees may play an important role towards the end of the legislative process, select committees may play an important investigative role and seniority is still important in selecting committee chairs, though not the all- important factor it once was, so committees within in congress are significance.
