Committees are an essential part of the legislative process in Congress. They help to organize the most important work of Congress, which is considering, shaping, and passing laws to govern the nation. Committees are groups of members appointed to investigate, debate, and report on legislation. They are responsible for monitoring ongoing governmental operations, identifying issues suitable for legislative review, gathering and evaluating information, and recommending courses of action to the Senate.

There are four types of congressional committees: standing committees, select committees, joint committees, and conference committees. Standing committees are permanent committees with specific responsibilities outlined in the rules of each chamber. Select committees are created for a specific purpose and are usually temporary. Joint committees include members from both the House and Senate and are usually established with narrow jurisdictions. Conference committees are temporary committees created to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Committee membership enables members to develop specialized knowledge of the matters under their jurisdiction. Committees evaluate presidential nominees for executive and judicial posts and provide oversight of federal government operations. They also play key roles in floor debate about the bills that they foster. Committees use professional staff and experts representing business, labor, the public, and the executive branch to obtain information needed by members in writing legislation.

In summary, the purpose of committees in Congress is to:

• Consider, shape, and pass laws to govern the nation
• Monitor ongoing governmental operations
• Identify issues suitable for legislative review
• Gather and evaluate information
• Recommend courses of action to the Senate
• Develop specialized knowledge of the matters under their jurisdiction
• Evaluate presidential nominees for executive and judicial posts
• Provide oversight of federal government operations
• Play key roles in floor debate about the bills that they foster
• Use professional staff and experts to obtain information needed by members in writing legislation.