Congressional Committee Chairs

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Congressional Committee Chairs/Ranking Members and Year Elected to Congress

Standing Committee Chairs and Ranking Members

of the 112th U.S. House of Representatives (2011-2013)

Committee Name / Jurisdictional Highlights / Chair / Ranking Member
Agriculture / Agriculture policy, including livestock and farming / Frank Lucas
(R-OK, 1994-Present) / Collin Peterson
(D-MN, 1991-Present)
Appropriations / Sets specific money expenditures by the government / Hal Rogers
(R-KY, 1981-Present) / Norm Dicks
(D-WA, 1977-Present)
Armed Services / Defense policy and ongoing military operations / Buck McKeon
(R-CA, 1993-Present) / Adam Smith
(D-WA, 1997-Present)
Budget / Taxing and spending; budget process / Paul Ryan
(R-WI, 1999-Present) / Chris Van Hollen
(D-MD, 2003-Present)
Education and the Workforce / Education and workforce / John Kline
(R-MN, 2003-Present) / George Miller
(D-CA, 1975-Present)
Energy and Commerce / Energy and commerce / Fred Upton
(R-MI, 1987-Present) / Henry Waxman
(D-CA, 2003-Present)
Ethics / Code of official conduct with respect to members, officers and employees / Jo Bonner
(R-AL, 2003-Present) / Zoe Lofgren
(D-CA, 1995-Present)
Financial Services / Economy, banking system, housing, insurance, and securities and exchanges / Spencer Bachus
(R-AL, 1993-Present) / Barney Frank
(D-MA, 1981-Present)
Foreign Affairs / Oversight and legislation relating to foreign assistance, war powers, national security and international law / Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
(R-FL, 1989-Present) / Howard Berman
(D-CA, 2003-Present)
Homeland Security / Oversight for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and protecting Americans against possible terrorist attacks. / Peter King
(R-NY, 1993-Present) / Bennie Thompson
(D-MS, 1993-Present)
House Administration / Oversight of federal elections and day-to-day House operations. / Daniel Lungren
(R-CA, 2005-present) / Robert Brady
(D-PA, 1998-Present)
Judiciary / Judicial proceedings, apportionment, constitutional amendments, immigration / Lamar Smith
(R-TX, 1987-Present) / John Conyers
(D-MI, 1993-Present)
Natural Resources / Fisheries and wildlife, conservation, national parks, land grants / Doc Hastings
(R-WA, 1995-Present) / Ed Markey
(D-MA, 1976-Present)
Oversight and Government Reform / District of Columbia, the government procurement process, federal personnel systems and Postal Service / Darrell Issa
(R-CA, 2001-Present) / Elijah Cummings
(D-MD, 1996-Present)
Rules / Special orders for the consideration of legislation (rules for consideration of bills) and original jurisdiction (standing rules of the House) / David Dreier
(R-CA, 1981-Present) / Louise Slaughter
(D-NY, 1993-Present)
Science, Space and Technology / Energy research, non-military energy laboratories, standardization of weights and measures and the metric system / Ralph Hall
(R-TX, 1981-Present) / Eddie Bernice Johnson
(D-TX, 1993-Present)
Small Business / Protect and assist small businesses including financial aid, regulatory flexibility, and the Small Business Administration / Sam Graves
(R-MO, 2001-Present) / Nydia Velazquez
(D-NY, 1993-Present)
Transportation and Infrastructure / Aviation, maritime and waterborne transportation, roads, bridges, mass transit, and railroads / John Mica
(R-FL, 1993-Present) / Nick Rahall
(D-WV, 1993-Present)
Veterans’ Affairs / Veterans' measures, pensions, life insurance, rehabilitation, medical care, national cemeteries / Jeff Miller
(R-FL, 2001-Present) / Bob Filner
(D-CA, 2003-Present)
Ways and Means / Revenue measures generally and relating to insular possessions, reciprocal trade agreements, bonded debt of the U.S. / Dave Camp
(R-MI, 1991-Present) / Sander Levin
(D-MI, 1983-Present)

Discussion Question

Discuss the relationship between chair and ranking member seniority, and committee jurisdiction, as identified in the table “Standing Committee Chairs and Ranking Members

of the 112th U.S. House of Representatives (2011-2013)”, and based on the video Congressional Committee Chairs.