hold hearings on proposed legislation

oversee the actions fo the executive brnach

conduct hearings

reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate

a)      the seniority system plays no role in the House and therefore must play a larger role

a)      the Constitution mandates the type of committee structure in the House

a)      the House is so large that more work can be accomplished in committees than on the floor

a)  the majority party in the House prefers to give priority to the work of the committees

a)      specially appointed investigative bodies

a)      joint committees of the two houses of Congress

a)      committees created for each session

a)  permanent subject-matter committees

a)      Appeal the Court’s decision to the District of Columbia’s Court of Appeals

a)  Try to amend the Constitution

a)      Formally request the President to veto the Court’s decision

a)      Remove certain members of the Court and replace them with new members

a)      The House operates more by formal rules, while the Senate operates more on informal understandings.  

The rules are specified in Article I of the Constitution

The rules in each chamber are determined by the majority whip

a)  The rules can be changed by the President during a national emergency.

a)      Federal Reserve Board’s control over interest rates

a)      Practice of permitting senators to preview lists of judicial nominees

a)      Practice whereby legislators with the most seniority select the committees on which they want to serve

a)  Right of members of Congress to send mail to their constituents at the government’s expense