Committees in the Senate

Abstract

Senators are dependent on groups of their peers—committees—for consideration of Senate business. In addition, committees are both vital to the legislative process and varied in their structure. In this paper, attention is focused on some of the major problems: committee organization, procedure, activities and realignment. The framework for discussion of the Senate committee system is colored by what has been called the Constitutional balance approach to government. Reforms in the committee system must promote both coequal status of the branches of government and committee responsibility in decision making. If Congress is to assume its proper Constitutional role, it must regain the authority which it has abdicated to the executive branch and must exercise influence in ways which are now neglected by all government. Committee reform can be an important means for achieving this objective; the time for committee reform is now. A strong committee system means a strong Congress.