THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE SYSTEM
For almost 200 years, committees have been central to the legislative process. Speaker Reed near the turn of the century remarked that the committee is ``the eye, the ear, the hand, and very often the brain'' of Congress. 2 Through the years, political scientists have produced innumerable studies that attest to the influence, importance, and power of committees. In his testimony before the Joint Committee, Representative Norman Mineta captured the prevailing consensus on committees when he stated, ``A great deal has been said about the importance of committees to the work of Congress, and that is absolutely true. Much of the real legislative work that is done day in and day out is done in the committees, and if that were not so, Congress simply would not be able to function.''3 As agenda setters, sources of expertise, and policy developers, committees are the lifeblood of the congressional system.
". . .it is not far from the truth to say that Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee rooms is Congress at work." 1
-- Woodrow Wilson, Congressional Government, 1885.
FOOTNOTES1 Woodrow Wilson, Congressional Government, (Baltimore, the Johns Hopkins University Press, 1981), p. 69. Originally published in 1885.
2 De Alva Stanwood Alexander, History and Procedure of the House of Representatives, (Boston: Houghlin Mifflin, 1916), p. 228.
3 Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, Committee Structure. Hearing. May 6, 1993. p. 776.