Making laws
committee
A panel of members with jurisdiction over a subject area. Committees are where most legislation is examined, rewritten, and, most often, quietly dies.
In full
Each chamber divides its work among standing committees (and their subcommittees), each with jurisdiction over a subject such as agriculture, armed services, or the judiciary. A newly introduced measure is referred to the committee with jurisdiction, which may hold hearings, amend it, report it to the floor, or, for the large majority of bills, simply never take it up.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.