Making laws
standing committee
A permanent committee with fixed jurisdiction that continues from one Congress to the next, such as Judiciary, Armed Services, or Ways and Means.
In full
Standing committees are the chambers' permanent workshops. Each has jurisdiction over a subject area written into chamber rules, and every bill introduced is referred to whichever one owns its subject. They hold hearings, mark up text, report bills to the floor, and conduct oversight of the agencies in their jurisdiction. Their permanence is what makes seniority on them worth accumulating.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.