Question

Much of the work in Congress takes place in its standing committees. Which of the following statements about these committees is not true? a.Members of Congress tend to be assigned to a standing committee that handles policy issues important to their constituency. b. Each standing committee has a defined jurisdiction (the policy area in which it is authorized to act). c. Standing committees have the power to alter (“mark up”) the bills they handle. d. Once a standing committee finishes its work on a bill, the bill is automatically referred to the full House or Senate for a vote.

Answer 1

Statement (d), claiming that a bill is automatically referred to the full House or Senate for a vote after a committee's work, is not true. Committees have significant discretion, and many bills never leave committee.

Step-by-step explanation:

Much of the work in Congress takes place in its standing committees, which play a central role in the legislative process. While members of Congress are often assigned to committees relevant to their constituencies' interests (a), and each committee has a defined jurisdiction over certain policy areas (b), it's also true that they have the power to alter or "mark up" the bills they review (c).

However, the statement that a bill is automatically sent to the full House or Senate for a vote after a committee is finished with it (d) is not true. In reality, committees have a significant amount of discretion, and many bills never make it out of committee.

When a bill does leave a committee, it comes with a report explaining the committee's recommendations, which is then subject to scheduling by leadership for floor consideration.