Committees of The United States Congress - Current Committees

Current Committees

In the House of Representatives, there are 21 permanent committees, and 20 in the United States Senate. Four joint committees operate with members from both houses on matters of mutual jurisdiction and oversight.

Committees in the House of Representatives generally have more members, due its larger size, as compared to the smaller 100-member Senate. Senate rules fix the maximum size for many of its committees, while the House determines the size and makeup of each committee every new Congress.

The roster of each committee is officially approved by a full vote of its house. However those decisions (including who will serve as chair of each committee) are actually made by the party leadership. Considerations in making the assignments include each member's areas of expertise, the interests of their constituents, and seniority. Political favors also often come into play in committee assignments.

House of Representatives Senate Joint
  • Agriculture
  • Appropriations
  • Armed Services
  • Budget
  • Education and the Workforce
  • Energy and Commerce
  • Ethics
  • Financial Services
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Homeland Security
  • House Administration
  • Intelligence (Permanent Select)
  • Judiciary
  • Natural Resources
  • Oversight and Government Reform
  • Rules
  • Science, Space, and Technology
  • Small Business
  • Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Veterans' Affairs
  • Ways and Means
  • (Whole)
  • Aging (Special)
  • Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
  • Appropriations
  • Armed Services
  • Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • Budget
  • Commerce, Science and Transportation
  • Energy and Natural Resources
  • Ethics (Select)
  • Environment and Public Works
  • Finance
  • Foreign Relations
  • Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
  • Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • Indian Affairs
  • Intelligence (Select)
  • Judiciary
  • Rules and Administration
  • Small Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Veterans' Affairs
  • (Conference)
  • Economic
  • Library
  • Printing
  • Taxation

Read more about this topic:  Committees Of The United States Congress

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