Self Check, Chapter 5 Lesson 4

When the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, how do they work out their differences?

in a conference committee

How is party membership on committees usually divided in each house?

in the same proportion as the party's strength in that house

In practice, lawmakers usually limit this type of committee to handling routine matters.

joint committee

Which type of committee almost always has subcommittees?

standing committee

Which type of committee is set up to continue from one legislative session to the next?

standing committee

What responsibility would you expect to be assigned to a standing committee?

appropriate funds to government programs such as Medicare

What is a power of committee chairs?

can determine the bills the committee will consider

Why is assignment to the "right" committees important to members of Congress?

enables them to act on bills important to their constituents

What is a function of congressional committees?

shape the language of bills

Why might the Senate create a select committee?

to address a matter of great public concern at a given time