Final answer:
A committee is a group of people officially delegated to perform a function, such as investigating, considering, reporting, or acting on a matter. Committees in Congress study potential legislation by holding public hearings, receiving testimony, doing research, and projecting the impact that potential legislation might have on those affected by it. Members of Congress bring their specific experiences, interests, and levels of expertise to their roles and try to match these to committee positions.
Step-by-step explanation:
A committee is a group of people officially delegated to perform a function, such as investigating, considering, reporting, or acting on a matter. In the context of Congress, committees are where bills originate and most of the work that sets the congressional agenda takes place. Committees study potential legislation by holding public hearings, receiving testimony, doing research, and projecting the impact that potential legislation might have on those affected by it.
Members of Congress bring their specific experiences, interests, and levels of expertise to their roles and try to match these to committee positions. For example, House members from states with large agricultural interests will typically seek positions on the Agriculture Committee. Senate members with a background in banking or finance may seek positions on the Senate Finance Committee. Members can request these positions from their chambers' respective leadership, and the leadership also selects the committee chairs.
Committees play a vital role in the legislative process. They conduct hearings to learn more about policy areas and to conduct legislative oversight. They gather information to ensure that an agency's actions are in line with its assigned mission. Committees and agencies are often paired up based on relevant policy jurisdiction. For example, the Health and Social Care Select Committee in the UK Parliament has jurisdiction over the Department of Health and Social Care and its agencies and bodies, including the National Health Service (NHS).