Making laws
ranking member
The senior member of the minority party on a committee, the counterpart to the chair. Usually becomes chair if the party wins the majority.
In full
Every committee has a chair from the majority party and a ranking member from the minority. The chair controls the agenda, the hearing schedule, and in most committees the subpoena power; the ranking member controls the minority's witness slots and staff. Because control follows the chamber majority, a ranking member and a chair frequently swap titles after an election without either changing seats.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.