house committee assignment process

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• 118th Congress, 2nd Session

Committee Profiles

• Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development
• Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology
• General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit
• Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
• Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture
• Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
• Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
• Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies
• Financial Services and General Government
• Homeland Security
• Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
• Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
• Legislative Branch
• Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
• State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
• Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
• Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation
• Intelligence and Special Operations
• Military Personnel
• Seapower and Projection Forces
• Strategic Forces
• Tactical Air and Land Forces
• Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education
• Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
• Higher Education and Workforce Development
• Workforce Protections
• Communications and Technology
• Energy, Climate, and Grid Security
• Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials
• Innovation, Data, and Commerce
• Oversight and Investigations
• Capital Markets
• Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion
• Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy
• Housing and Insurance
• National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions
• Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
• Indo-Pacific
• Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia
• Oversight and Accountability
• Western Hemisphere
• Border Security and Enforcement
• Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection
• Emergency Management and Technology
• Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability
• Transportation and Maritime Security
• Modernization
• The Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust
• The Constitution and Limited Government
• Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet
• Crime and Federal Government Surveillance
• Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement
• Responsiveness and Accountability to Oversight
• Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government
• Energy and Mineral Resources
• Federal Lands
• Indian and Insular Affairs
• Water, Wildlife and Fisheries
• Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation
• Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs
• Government Operations and the Federal Workforce
• Health Care and Financial Services
• National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs
• Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Legislative and Budget Process
• Rules and Organization of the House
• Environment
• Investigations and Oversight
• Research and Technology
• Space and Aeronautics
• Contracting and Infrastructure
• Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access
• Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development
• Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations
• Rural Development, Energy, and Supply Chains
• Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
• Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management
• Highways and Transit
• Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
• Water Resources and Environment
• Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
• Economic Opportunity
• Technology Modernization
• Social Security
• Work and Welfare
• Central Intelligence Agency
• Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture
• National Intelligence Enterprise
• National Security Agency and Cyber

Congressional Rules, Leadership, and Committee Selection

Published on January 31, 2023

View the PDF version.

Every two years, at the beginning of each Congress, the House of Representatives is responsible for adopting rules that govern the procedure and process of the chamber, while the Senate uses its traditional rules and procedures. The adoption of these rules is necessary for sessions of Congress to run as smoothly as possible. Standing rules also dictate how party leadership and committee membership are selected. This is a basic guide to rules and procedures in both chambers of Congress.

Rules and Procedures in the House

At the beginning of each Congress, the House of Representatives must vote on a new rules package to determine the rules that will govern the body for the next two years. Before these rules are adopted, the House operates based on general parliamentarian rules. The House usually adopts the rules of the previous Congress and makes amendments the body feels are necessary. The rules package lays out the guidelines for the daily procedure in the House, how the chamber passes legislation, and other rules of decorum.

The House Committee on Rules is among the oldest standing committees and is the mechanism by which the Speaker maintains control of the House Floor. The House Rules Committee has two types of jurisdiction–special orders and original jurisdiction. Special orders, or special rules, determine the rules of debates on a matter or measure on the Floor and are the bulk of the Committee’s work. Original jurisdiction refers to changes being made to the standing rules. The Rules Committee can create or change almost any rule as long as a majority of the House agrees.\

Reporting a special rule to the House Committee on Rules is a process that begins with the committee of jurisdiction requesting a hearing by the Rules Committee. The Rules Committee then holds a hearing in which Members of Congress from the committee of jurisdiction can make their case.

Rules and Procedures in the Senate

Unlike the House of Representatives, the Senate, as a continuing body, does not have to adopt or readopt its rules with each new Congress. A set of standing rules govern proceedings in the Senate in conjunction with a body of precedents created by rulings of presiding officers or by votes of the Senate, a variety of established and customary practices, and ad hoc arrangements the Senate makes. The standing rules guarantee rights to senators, however, these rights are sometimes foregone by senators in the interest of conducting business more quickly.

One rule that separates the Senate from the House is the use of cloture to end a filibuster. Senators can prolong voting on bills by debating at length or using other delaying tactics, but a cloture vote by 60 out of the 100 senators can end the debate and force a vote on the bill.

The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration is responsible for upholding the rules of the Senate floor, the administration of Senate buildings, the credentials and qualifications of senators, and the development and implementation of strategic plans to improve the operations of the Senate. The committee has jurisdiction over any matters relating to the rules and procedures of the Senate rules and regulations. Unlike its counterpart in the House, the Senate Rules and Administration Committee does not need to develop a rules package for each new Congress.

Selection of House and Senate Leadership

Leadership in the House is decided by internal party elections. These elections typically take place behind closed doors via secret ballot in November following the general election. Leadership elections also determine the chairs of the Democratic Caucus and the Republican Conference and the chairs of the two parties’ campaign committees. The parties also elect their nominees for Speaker of the House. The Speaker is elected by a simple majority in a vote put to the entire House of Representatives.

The Speaker is the most powerful member of leadership, followed by the majority leader, minority leader, majority and minority whips, and finally the assistant speaker

In the Senate, leadership consists of the president pro tempore, the majority and minority leaders, conference chairs, policy committee chairs, conference secretaries, and campaign committee chairs. These positions are elected or appointed by their separate parties.

The vice president of the United States serves as the president of the Senate, but the president pro tempore presides over the Senate in the absence of the vice president. The president pro tempore is traditionally, but not always, the most senior member of the majority party in the Senate who is elected to the role by the chamber. Responsibilities of the president pro tempore include appointing the director of the Congressional Budget Office with the Speaker of the House, making appointments to various national commissions and advisory boards, and receiving reports from certain government agencies.

The Democratic leader in the Senate serves as chair of the party conference, but the Senate Republicans divide those duties, electing one person to serve as conference chair and another to serve as leader.

Selection of Committees in the House and Senate

Both parties in both chambers use steering committees, also known as committees on committees, to determine leadership and membership of committees. The Republican Steering Committee and the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee are selected during meetings in November and December after an election. The steering committees then make recommendations to the Republican Conference and Democratic Caucus respectively on committee chairs, ranking minority members, and general committee assignments.

In the House, once the steering committees make recommendations to their parties, the relevant party caucus approves the recommendations of the selection committee. Then the House approves the recommendations of the caucuses, which are brought before the House as privileged resolutions.

Traditionally, though not exclusively, committee chairs have been selected by seniority, so that the longest-serving Members of the committee from the majority and minority parties become the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the committee. Members of the House are typically limited to service on two committees and four subcommittees, with exceptions for particular committees.

In the Senate, the committee assignment process is guided by Senate rules as well as party rules and practices. The Senate governs committee operations through its Standing Rules XXIV-XXVIII.

Senators are formally elected to standing committees by the entire membership of the Senate, but in practice, each party conference is largely responsible for determining which of its members will sit on each committee. Just as they do in the house, steering committees from both parties make recommendations on committee leadership and assignments. In both party conferences, the floor leader has the authority to make some committee assignments, which can provide the leader with a method of promoting party discipline through the granting or withholding of desired assignments. The number of seats a party holds in the Senate determines its share of seats on each committee.

Senate rules divide committees into three categories based on their importance: Class A, Class B, and Class C. Each senator may serve on no more than two Class A committees and one Class B committee, unless granted special permission. There are no limits to service on Class C committees.

In both chambers, the Republican party has term limits on committee leadership roles.

Links to Other Resources

• Congressional Research Service – ​ Commonly Used Motions and Requests in the House of Representatives
• Congressional Research Service – ​ House and Senate Rules of Procedure: A Comparison
• Congressional Research Service – House Standing Committee Chairs and Ranking Minority Members: Rules Governing Selection Procedures
• CNN – What to know about upcoming House leadership elections
• GovInfo – Congressional Calendars
• Office of the Historian of the United States House of Representatives – House Committees
• Roll Call – ​ House adopts rules package for 118th Congress
• United States Congress – ​Glossary of Legislative Terms
• United States House of Representatives – ​ A Guide to the Rules, Precedents, and Procedures of the House
• United States House of Representatives – ​ The Legislative Process
• Unites States Senate – Rules and Procedure
• United States Senate – ​When a New Congress Begins

The House’s committees consider bills and issues and oversee agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions.

• Agriculture
• Appropriations
• Armed Services
• Education and the Workforce
• Energy and Commerce
• Financial Services
• Foreign Affairs
• Homeland Security
• House Administration
• Natural Resources
• Oversight and Accountability
• Science, Space, and Technology
• Small Business
• Transportation and Infrastructure
• Veterans’ Affairs
• Ways and Means
• Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
• Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
• Joint Economic Committee
• Joint Committee on the Library
• Joint Committee on Printing
• Joint Committee on Taxation

View Committees No Longer Standing from the 117th Congress

Pretend you’re in Congress and we’ll give you a committee assignment

Congratulations, you’ve been elected by the voters in your House district to represent them in the 118th Congress. Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start making legislation. Seems pretty straightforward, right?

Well, not so fast. Joining a committee, where the bulk of legislation is drafted, is both a little bit art and a little bit science. Congressional committees serve as an opportunity for lawmakers to oversee some of the most pressing issues the country is facing and develop expertise in specific policy areas. And a prime committee assignment could alter the trajectory of a member of Congress, whether catapulting them into important legislative conversations or into the pop culture lexicon. (Oh, you’ve never seen a viral video from a Capitol Hill committee hearing? Of course you have.)

There are several steps to securing a committee assignment. First, your party’s steering committee — yes, that’s a committee to decide if you can join a committee — needs to recommend you for a specific assignment. Then, those recommendations are put to a vote by your party. After that, the two parties vote on those recommendations, and finally a resolution is introduced on the House floor to formalize the assignments.

So, let’s put you in the shoes of a lawmaker trying to decide where you might fit best. Answer these questions to see which committee would suit your interests, and then we’ll show you how the politicking begins.

Your region demographics

Question 1 of 6

Question 2 of 6, question 3 of 6.

Your interests and experience

Question 4 of 6

Select all that apply

Question 5 of 6

Networking in the House

Question 6 of 6

The art of politics

Other factors play into whether you’ll be assigned your preferred committee. To account for this, we’ll randomize how well known you are, how controversial you are and how well you work with others.

You are well-known .

You are controversial .

This is where more of the art, as opposed to the science, comes into play. Some factors that determine who gets which committee assignments happen far outside the halls of Congress. Whether you have a strong base of national supporters, are a political lightning rod or belong to the majority party can play a major role in who gets valued committee assignments. There are many other intangible factors in the process, including whether you’re a people person or a more solitary figure on the Hill.

You need to answer every question to see your result. You’re missing questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Illustrations by Jordan Awan. Design and development by Stephanie Hays and Irfan Uraizee. Copy editing by Mike Cirelli. Editing by Annah Aschbrenner and Kainaz Amaria. Design editing by Madison Walls.

House Committees: Assignment Process

House Committees: Assignment Process

December 1, 2004 – February 25, 2008 98-367

Committee assignments often determine the character of a Member’s career. They are also important to the party leaders who organize the chamber and shape the composition of the committees. House rules identify some procedures for making committee assignments; Republican Conference and Democratic Caucus rules supplement these House rules and provide more specific criteria for committee assignments.

Information on the number of, and limitations on, assignments is provided in CRS Report 98-151, House Committees: Categories and Rules for Committee Assignments, by Judy Schneider. In general, pursuant to House rules, Representatives cannot serve on more than two standing committees. In addition, both parties identify exclusive committees and generally limit service on them; other panels are identified as nonexclusive or exempt committees. House and party rules restrict Members’ service on the Budget, Intelligence, and Standards of Official Conduct Committees to a limited number of terms.

Introduction

Committee sizes and ratios, factors in making assignments, party organizations, individual member rights.

Committee assignments often determine the character of a Member's career. They are also important to the party leaders who organize the chamber and shape the composition of the committees. House rules identify some procedures for making committee assignments; Republican Conference and Democratic Caucus rules supplement these House rules and provide more specific criteria for committee assignments.

Information on the number of, and limitations on, assignments is provided in CRS Report 98-151, House Committees: Categories and Rules for Committee Assignments , by [author name scrubbed]. In general, pursuant to House rules, Representatives cannot serve on more than two standing committees. In addition, both parties identify exclusive committees and generally limit service on them; other panels are identified as nonexclusive or exempt committees. House and party rules restrict Members' service on the Budget, Intelligence, and Standards of Official Conduct Committees to a limited number of terms.

Traditionally, the respective party leaders, occasionally with input from committee leaders, negotiate individual committee sizes and ratios prior to the post-general-election early organization meetings, when the assignment process officially begins. Sizes are determined prior to the start of the Congress, although they generally remain fairly constant year after year. When the size of a committee is increased, it is usually done to accommodate individual Member requests for service on a particular panel. In the 110 th Congress, the largest House committee has 75 members; the smallest has 10.

Ratios on committees generally reflect party strength in the chamber. However, it is generally agreed that ratios are done in the aggregate, rather than on a committee-by-committee basis, in part to retain a "working majority" on the more sought-after committees, often the exclusive panels. In contrast to the general practice, one committee, Standards of Official Conduct, has an equal number of majority and minority members, while the Rules Committee has a ratio of 2:1, plus one, in favor of the majority.

Both parties consider a variety of factors in making assignments, including seniority, experience, background, ideology, election margin, state delegation support, leadership support, as well as the special concerns of the Member's district. Further, the leadership often considers geographic balance in making assignments, with Members of the other party not usually counted for such purposes. None of these factors, however, is usually seen as having equal weight for each Member in each instance.

In addition, the rules of the party organizations and the House attempt to ensure an equitable number of assignments for each Member and an equitable distribution of assignments to important committees. However, the so-called "property norm" generally allows returning Members to retain their seats on committees prior to allowing new Members to seek their assignments. In addition, if sizes and ratios are dramatically changed, each party might make exceptions to the property norm.

Both Democrats and Republicans give the assignment function to a "steering committee." For both parties, the steering committee comprises the elected party leadership, numerous Members elected by region from the party membership, and Members appointed by the leadership. Representatives from specific classes—groups of Members elected in a specific year—are also represented.

Each party Member has a representative on his or her party's steering committee, and one role of this representative is to advance the individual Member's choices for assignments. The steering committee for each party votes by secret ballot to arrive at individual recommendations for assignments to standing committees and forwards those recommendations to the full party conference or caucus. (Even recommendations for the House Rules and House Administration Committees' members, which are made by the Speaker and minority leader, are confirmed by the full party conference.) Once ratified by the Republican Conference or Democratic Caucus, the recommendations are forwarded to the House, which votes on simple resolutions officially making the assignments.

Democratic Caucus rules guarantee each Democratic Member assignment to either an exclusive or nonexclusive committee. Further, if a Member's regional representative on the Democratic Steering Committee refuses to nominate the Member to the committee of his or her choice, the Member may ensure consideration by sending a letter, signed by half of his state delegation, to the chair of the Steering Committee. In addition, caucus rules provide for a separate vote by the entire caucus on particular Steering Committee recommendations if a vote is requested by 10 or more Members. Republican Conference rules do not contain similar provisions.

House of Representatives Committee on Rules

• Chairman Michael C. Burgess
• Rules Committee Members
• Subcommittees
• Special Rule Process
• Special Rule Types
• History of the Chairs of the Standing House Committee on Rules
• Hearing Room Committee Chair Portraits
• Submission Form
• Adding Cosponsors
• Withdrawing Amendments
• Submitting Revisions
• Amendment Resources
• Special Rules
• Original Jurisdiction Matters
• Rules of the House of Representatives
• Rules and Manuals of the House for Prior Congresses
• Rules of the Committees of the House of Representatives
• Surveys and Journals of Activities
• Additional Volumes
• Rules Committee Protocols
• Regulations for the 118th Congress
• Constitutional Authority and Single Subject Statements
• Rules Committee Prints
• Press Releases
• Announcements
• Minority Site

Active Legislation

H.R. 8146 — Police Our Border Act

H.J. Res. 109 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121.

H.R. 7343 — Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act

H.R. 7109 — Equal Representation Act

H.R. 6192 — Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act

H.R. 2925 — Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2024

H.R. 7700 — Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act

H.R. 7626 — Affordable Air Conditioning Act

H.R. 7637 — Refrigerator Freedom Act

H.R. 7645 — Clothes Dryers Reliability Act

H.R. 7673 — Liberty in Laundry Act

Links of Interest

• Submit an Amendment
• Legislation
• Rules of the House
• Meeting Videos
• Floor Activity

Latest News

Chairman burgess opening remarks on h.r. 6192, 7109, 2925, h.j. res. 109, announcement for h.r. 8146 – police our border act, meeting announcement for may 6, 2024, follow on twitter @rulesreps.