Answer:
Congressional committees are groups within the United States Congress that are responsible for specific legislative tasks.
Explanation:
These committees play a crucial role in the legislative process by conducting hearings, examining bills, and overseeing government agencies and programs related to their areas of jurisdiction. There are two main types of congressional committees: Standing Committees: Which are permanent committees established by the rules of each chamber of Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate). Standing committees are responsible for specific areas of policy, such as agriculture, foreign affairs, or finance. They consider bills and issues related to their jurisdiction, conduct investigations, and provide oversight of executive branch agencies.Select Committees: These are temporary committees created for a specific purpose and for a limited duration. Select committees are often established to investigate specific issues or events, such as the Watergate scandal or intelligence activities. Once their task is complete, select committees are usually disbanded.Each committee is chaired by a member of the majority party in the chamber where it resides (either the House or the Senate), and the majority party holds the majority of seats on each committee. However, the minority party also has representation on each committee, with committee membership allocated based on the proportion of seats held by each party in the chamber.Committees serve as the workhorses of Congress, where much of the legislative process takes place. They review proposed legislation, hold hearings to gather information and testimony from experts and stakeholders, mark up bills (make amendments and revisions), and vote on whether to advance bills to the full chamber for consideration. Additionally, committees play a key role in conducting oversight of the executive branch, ensuring that government agencies are functioning effectively and transparently.
