A committee hearing is a forum for committee members and interested parties to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of a bill. Typically, witnesses are invited to give short oral statements before the committee and are then asked questions by committee members. A published transcript of each hearing is available to the public.
After a thorough deliberation, a committee may decide to report a bill to the House, with or without amendment. A bill that is reported to the House usually includes all of the amendments approved during the markup process. Alternatively, the committee might choose to table the proposal, meaning no further action will take place on it. In either case, the result of a committee’s vote on a bill can be found in Committee Votes.
Committees conduct a wide variety of activities, from overseeing investigations to recommending legislation to the full House for approval. A committee’s work is essential to the legislative function of the House, as it ensures that laws are properly drafted and enacted. The majority of a committee’s members are elected by their constituents to serve on the panel, while the minority is appointed by the Speaker of the House.
Each committee is required to publish the date, time and subject of any meetings or hearings it holds. This information is available on the House’s schedule, along with a description of the topic to be discussed.
In addition to publishing committee meeting notices, the House makes public each committee’s entire transcript of any hearing that is held. Congressional transcripts contain all of the witnesses’ testimony, the question-and-answer portion of the hearing and any other material that was presented at the hearing.
The House of Representatives is composed of a number of standing and select committees. Each committee has its own jurisdiction, and is responsible for a specific subject matter, such as education, healthcare or foreign affairs. In addition, the House has a large number of subcommittees that focus on specific issues, such as immigration or the economy.
With the 2023 elections behind them, members are returning to their committee assignments — though there will be some new faces in leadership roles. Most of the Republicans who ran for chair of a committee will retain their positions, including Reps. Paul Torkelson (R-Hanska), Zack Stephenson (R-Coon Rapids) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.). The only new chair is Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), who lost to Mast for the role of chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, robbing Republicans of their only Black woman leader.
The Select Committee on Arrangements with News UK is responsible for responding to, and where possible settling valid claims made against News UK staff through civil proceedings or the Company’s compensation scheme. It is also tasked with ensuring that the Company continues to cooperate with any external and internal investigations. The committee has held two rounds of evidence to date and is expected to make its first report in early 2024. More details can be found in the latest News.