Department of Homeland Security: Options for House and Senate Committee Organization (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Aug. 13, 2004 |
| Report Number |
RS21360 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Judy Schneider and Paul Rundquist, Government and Finance Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
The 9/11 Commission Report recommended that the House and Senate each have
a "permanent
standing committee" as the principal committee for conducting oversight and review for homeland
security. Earlier, pursuant to PL 107-296, the Homeland Security Act, a new Department of
Homeland Security was established. Congress began discussions regarding the appropriate
congressional structure to conduct oversight and fund the new department. Section 1503 of the
legislation states the sense of Congress that each chamber should review its committee structure in
light of the reorganization of the executive branch, and the House, in the 108th Congress, established
a Select Committee on Homeland Security with a mandate to report recommendations for changes
in the House committee system by September 30, 2004.
Each chamber might decide to retain its current structure, make minor alterations to its current
jurisdictional alignment, make extensive jurisdictional changes, create a standing committee,
re-establish the existing House select committee, or establish one or more new select committees
with revised authorities. Further changes might also be made in the structure of the Appropriations
Committees. This report addresses some of these options and will be updated as events warrant.
