[20070503]98-544GOV_众议院小组委员会.pdf

Order Code 98-544 GOVUpdated May 3, 2007Subcommittees in the House ofRepresentativesJudy SchneiderSpecialist on the CongressGovernment and Finance DivisionSubcommittees are entities created by full committees to assist them in managingtheir work. Pursuant to Rule XI, clause 1(a)(A), “The Rules of the House are the rules ofits committees and subcommittees so far as applicable.” According to clause 1(a)(2)of the same rule, “each subcommittee of a committee is a part of that committee, and issubject to the authority and direction of that committee and to its rules, so far asapplicable.”Service on subcommittees enables members to develop expertise in specializedfields. Subcommittees diffuse the legislative process. For the most part, they areindependent, autonomous units with written jurisdictions, and, pursuant to longstandingpractice, most bills are referred by a full committee to them. Prior to the 104th Congress,subcommittees controlled their own, autonomous staffs.CreationHouse Rule X, clause 5(d) prohibits committees from having more than fivesubcommittees. However, a committee that maintains a subcommittee on oversight mayhave not more than six subcommittees. The Appropriations