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Standing Committee

Definition

A permanent committee in a legislative body to which bills of a specified subject matter are referred.

Analogy

Think of a standing committee as the main character in your favorite TV series. Just like how the main character is always present and plays an important role in every episode, a standing committee is always there in Congress, handling specific areas of legislation.

Related terms

Joint Committee: This is a type of committee that includes members from both the Senate and House of Representatives. It's like when characters from two different TV shows come together for a special crossover episode.

Conference Committee: This is a temporary panel composed of House and Senate conferees formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. It's similar to when two teams come together to negotiate or "hash out" their differences in order to reach an agreement.

Rules Committee: In the House, this committee reviews most bills coming from other committees before they go on full House floor, effectively controlling the terms of debate and amendments allowed on bills. Imagine it as the director who decides how each scene (or bill) will be played out.