House Standing Committee Chairs and Ranking Minority Members: Rules Governing Selection Procedures

Order Code RS21165 Updated March 5, 2004July 14, 2005 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web House Standing Committee Chairs: Rules Governing Selection Procedures Judy Schneider Specialist on the Congress Government and Finance Division Summary House Rules, Republican Conference rules, and Democratic Caucus rules each detail aspects of the procedures followed in selecting standing committee chairs. This report summarizes those procedures. It will be updated if rules and procedures change. House Rules House Rule X, clause 5(c)(2), adopted in 1995 and effective immediately, limitslimited committee (and subcommittee) chairs to three-terms of consecutive service. Service for less than a full session in a Congress is disregarded. A rules change adopted on January 7, 2003, pursuant to H.Res. 5, exemptsexempted the Intelligence Committee chair from the limit. A rules change adopted on January 4, 2005, pursuant to H.Res. 5, exempted the Rules Committee chair from the limit. Republican Conference Procedures Republican Conference rules delineate procedures for the selection of standing committee chairs. The Speaker, with the Republicans in the majority, has the authority to to nominate the chairs of the House Administration Committee and Rules Committee. His His nominations for these two chairs are submitted directly to the full Republican Conference Conference for ratification. If the conference rejects the Speaker’s nominee, the Speaker has the authority to submit another name to the conference. All other standing committee chairs are nominated by the Republican Steering Committee and ratified by the full Republican Conference. Pursuant to conference rules, the Member nominated to be chair does not need to be the Member with the longest continuous service on the committee. In the 108th109th Congress, the Steering Committee “interviewed” prospective candidates for committee chairmanships. All their recommendations were accepted by the full Republican Conference. Some of the new chairs were the most senior member of the committee; others were not. Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress CRS-2 The Steering Committee is comprised of party leaders, selected committee leaders, class leaders, and regional representatives. The Steering Committee is reconstituted each Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress CRS-2 Congress. Regions are restructured to reflect as closely as possible an equal number of Republican members from each region. Each region elects its Steering Committee member. If members are elected from states that have four or more Republican members, a “small state” group is triggered to also elect a member to the Steering Committee; the small state group is composed of states that have three or fewer Republican members. Table 1 depicts the Republican Steering Committee at the beginning of the 109th Congress. Table 1. Republican Steering Committee Designated Representative Member Serving in 108th in 109th Congress Comments Speaker of the House Denny Hastert Has 5 votes in Steering Committee Majority Leader Tom De LayDeLay Has 2 votes in Steering Committee Majority Whip Roy Blunt - Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor - Republican Conference Chair Deborah Pryce - Republican Conference Vice Chair Jack Kingston - Republican Conference Secretary John Doolitle - Republican Policy Chair Christopher Cox - NRCC Chair Tom Reynolds - Appropriations Committee Chair Bill YoungRepublican Conference Chair Deborah Pryce Republican Conference Vice Chair Jack Kingston Republican Conference Secretary John Dolittle Republican Policy Chair John Shadegg NRCC Chair Tom Reynolds Appropriations Committee Chair Jerry Lewis Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Joe Barton Billy Tauzin resigned as chair, February, 2004 Rules Committee Chair David Dreier - Ways and Means Committee Chair Bill Thomas - California Representative Ken Calvert - Florida Representative Adam Putnam -Texas Representative Lamar Smith Replaced Christopher Cox CRS-3 Designated Representative Member Serving in 109th Congress Comments Region I Representative Doc Hastings Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Minnesota, South Dakota, Utah CRS-3 Designated Representative Member Serving in 108th Congress Comments Region II Representative John Shadegg Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska Region III Representative Lamar Smith Texas, Oklahoma Joe Barton served until February, 2004 when elected Energy and Commerce chair Region IV Minnesota, Utah, Nebraska Region II Representative Marilyn Musgrave (replaced John Shadegg) Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma Region III Representative Tom Latham Iowa, Missouri, Illinois Region VIV Representative Dave Camp Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana Region VIV Representative John McHugh New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland Region VIIVI Representative Curt Weldon Pennsylvania, New Jersey Region VIIIVII Representative Ralph Regula Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia Region IXVIII Representative Hal Rogers Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky Region XIX Representative Mac CollinsSpencer Bachus Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia Small State Representative Don Young Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah 107th108th Class Representative John Culberson - 108th Class Representative John Carter -Carter 109th Class Representative Cathy McMorris Democratic Caucus Procedures Democratic Caucus rules address selecting committee chairs even though Democrats are not currently in the majority. The Democratic leader nominates a chair/ranking member for the Committees on Rules and House Administration who must be approved by the entire Democratic Caucus. The Budget Committee chair/ranking member is selected from among members choosing to run for the position. Other chair/ranking CRS-4 member nominations are made by the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and voted on by the entire Democratic Caucus. In making selections, the Steering Committee considers, pursuant to caucus rules, “merit, length of service on the committee and degree of CRS-4 of commitment to the Democratic agenda of the nominee, and the diversity of the Caucus.” The Steering Committee is reconstituted each Congress, and regions can be restructured restructured to reflect equal Democratic representation among regions. The number of appointments appointments made by the party leader can also change. The following tableTable 2 depicts the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee as constituted at the beginning of the 108th109th Congress. Table 2. Democratic Steering Committee Designated Representative Member Serving in the 108th in the 109th Congress Comments Steering Committee Chair Nancy Pelosi - Steering Committee Co-Chair Rosa De Lauro - Steering Committee Vice-Chair Jose Serrano - Steering Committee Vice-Chair Maxine Waters - Steering Committee Vice-Chair John Tanner - Whip Steny Hoyer - DeLauro Policy Committee Co-Chair George Miller Vice-Chair Jose Serrano Vice-Chair/Chief Deputy Whip Maxine Waters Vice-Chair/Chief Deputy Whip John Tanner Whip Steny Hoyer Democratic Caucus Chair Robert Menendez - Democratic Caucus Vice-Chair James Clyburn - Assistant to the Democratic Leader John Spratt - DCCC Chair Robert Matsui -DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel Senior Chief Deputy Whip John Lewis - Chief Deputy Whip Jan Schakowsky - Chief Deputy Whip Ron Kind - Chief Deputy Whip Baron Hill - CRS-5 Designated Representative Member Serving in the 108th Congress CommentsChief Deputy Whip Joe Crowley Chief Deputy Whip Joe Crowley -Diana DeGette Chief Deputy Whip Max Sandlin -Ron Kind Chief Deputy Whip Maxine Waters -Ed Pastor Chief Deputy Whip Ed Pastor -Jan Schakowsky Region I Tom UdallBrad Sherman Southern California: 22, 24, 26, 27, 28-36, 42, 46, 49, 50; Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado23-53 Region II Mike ThompsonDennis Cardoza Northern California: 1, 5-10, 12-18, 20-22; Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam Guam, Alaska CRS-5 Designated Representative Member Serving in the 109th Congress Comments Region III Carolyn Kilpatrick Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin Region IV Jerry Costello Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky Region V Earl Pomeroy Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, KansasKansas, Missouri, Oklahoma Region V Brian Baird Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, OklahomaNevada, Idaho Region VI Jim TurnerEddie Bernice Johnson Texas Region VII Chris JohnJim Cooper Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama Region VIII Jim Davis, Arkansas, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico Region VIII G.K. Butterfield Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida Region IX Nick RahallDutch Ruppersberger Maryland, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia, VirginiaD.C., Delaware Region X Sherrod Brown Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucy Region XI Joe CrowleyGregory Meeks New York Region XII John Tierney Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Virgin IslandsMike Capuano Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey - Budget Committee Ranking Member John Spratt Also serves by virtue of being Assistant to the Democratic Leader CRS-6 Designated Representative Member Serving in the 108th Congress Comments Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member John Dingell - Rules Committee Ranking Member Martin Frost -Louis Slaughter Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Charles Rangel - Organization Study and and Review (OSR) Chair Ben Cardin - Members appointed by Democratic Leader Earl Blumenauer, Michael Capuano, Sheila Jackson-Lee, John Larson, Zoe Lofgren, Nita Lowey, Carolyn McCarthy, Betty McCollum, Alan Mollohan, John Murtha, Donald Payne, Collin Peterson, Ciro Rodriquez, Mike Ross, Dutch Ruppersberger, Hilda Solis - Chair Ben Cardin Freshman Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz CRS-6 Designated Representative Members appointed by Democratic Leader Member Serving in the 109th Congress Earl Blumenauer Sheila Jackson Lee John Larson Zoe Lofgren Nita Lowey Carolyn McCart Betty McCollum Alan Mollohan Jack Murtha Donald Payne Mike Ross Loretta Sanchez Hilda Solis Mike Thompson John Tierney Comments