House Subcommittees: Assignment Process (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised May 11, 2007 |
| Report Number |
98-610 |
| Authors |
Judy Schneider, Government and Finance Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
House rules, Republican Conference and Democratic Caucus rules, and individual committee rules all address the subcommittee assignment process, although to varying degrees. Under House Rule X, clause 5(d), prohibits committees from having more than five subcommittees. However, a committee that maintains a subcommittee on oversight may have not more than six subcommittees. The Appropriations Committee may have up to 13 subcommittees (12 have been created) and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform may have up to seven subcommittees. For the 110th Congress, pursuant to H.Res. 6, the Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee may each have seven subcommittees, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure may have six subcommittees.
In addition, pursuant to Rule X, clause 5(b)(2)(A), Members are limited to service on no more than four subcommittees, although exceptions are allowed. A committee chair is generally prohibited from chairing a subcommittee of his or her committee, and all committee and subcommittee chairs are limited by House Rule X, clause 5(c)(2) to no more than three consecutive terms as chair, beginning with the 104th Congress (although waivers can be granted). Term limits for the Intelligence Committee chair were abolished by H.Res. 5 on January 7, 2003.
Many subcommittee assignment decisions are affected by the full committee assignment process. Information on that process is provided in CRS Report 98-151, House Committees: Categories and Rules for Committee Assignments, and CRS Report 98-367, House Committees: Assignment Process, both by Judy Schneider.
