A committee is a group of people appointed to oversee a particular issue or project within a business. They can range in size from a few people to a large number, and are generally a subset of the board of directors. Boards often appoint committees to provide more in-depth analysis and insight into specific issues and ideas. Ultimately, a productive committee can help a board achieve its goals and accomplish a lot more work than would otherwise be possible.
Committee News
A House select committee is set to meet Monday afternoon to decide whether to refer its findings on President Trump’s alleged obstruction of justice to federal prosecutors. The panel’s tenth televised meeting will focus on the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill attack and will likely continue to explore themes that emerged in earlier hearings, including Trump’s pressure campaigns on Justice Department officials and local election officials and his refusal to condemn the rioters as “terrorists.”
The panel is expected to discuss its next steps and potentially issue criminal referrals against Republican lawmakers who refused to appear before the committee or were found to have violated campaign finance rules. Chairman Bennie Thompson said he expects the panel to send at least “five or six categories” of referrals, and it will be up to the Justice Department to determine whether to pursue them.
Committees take a variety of forms, from a legislative subcommittee to an in-house task force. Most importantly, they provide a mechanism for a group of stakeholders to review a specific topic and make recommendations for action. They also act as a forum for discussion, which can lead to an exchange of ideas and solutions.
In addition to meetings, some committees also hold a markup to consider legislation. During the markup process, committee members and other stakeholders can hear about the strengths and weaknesses of a proposal from invited witnesses, such as government agencies, industry groups or groups representing interested citizens. Witnesses give short oral statements and are asked questions by the committee members.
Afterwards, a published transcript of the hearing is released, and it’s available on the House website at govinfo, on a committee website or at a congressional document room. It can take several months or years for a hearing to be published, but when it is, it’s a powerful tool to learn more about the committee’s work and its decisions. The committee’s final report is usually hundreds of pages long and includes detailed descriptions of the evidence that the panel has gathered. The committee report may also include a list of the witnesses and a summary of the testimony. It may also include recommended changes to the bill. It is assigned a House report number that includes the year it was reported, and it is published in How Our Laws Are Made. This is one of the most important and influential reports of any committee. It paves the way for legislation to pass through the committee and become law.