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

Order Code RS21165 Updated July 14, 2005 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web House Standing Committee ChairsDecember 27, 2006 House Standing Committee Chairs and Ranking Minority Members: Rules Governing Selection Procedures Judy Schneider Specialist on the Congress Government and Finance Division Summary House Rulesrules, Republican Conference rules, and Democratic Caucus rules each detail aspects of the procedures followed in selecting standing committee chairs and ranking minority members. This . This report summarizes those procedures. It and lists membership on each party’s steering committee. The report will be updated if rules and or procedures change. House Rules House Rule X, clause 5(c)(2), adopted in 1995 and effective immediately, limited 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, exempted 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 and ranking minority members. The Speaker, with the Republicans in the majority, has the authority to nominate the chairs of the House Administration Committee and Rules Committee. His nominations for these two chairs are submitted directly to the full Republican In the minority, this is performed by the minority leader. He names the ranking minority members on these committees. The Speaker’s or minority leader’s nominations for these two positions are submitted directly to the full Republican Conference for ratification. If the conference rejects the Speakerleader’s nominee, the Speaker or minority leader has the authority to submit another name to the conference. CRS-2 All other standing committee chairs or ranking minority members are nominated by the Republican Steering Committee and ratified by the full Republican Conference. Pursuant to conference rules, the Member nominated to be chair or ranking minority member does not need to be the Member with the longest continuous service on the committee. In the 109th110th Congress, the Steering Committee “interviewed” prospective candidates for committee chairmanshipsranking slots. Some of the new chairs ranking members were the most senior member members of the committee; others were not. Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress CRS-2, others were not. The Steering Committee is comprisedcomposed of party leaders, selected committee leaders, class leaders, and regional representatives. The Steering Committee is reconstituted each Congress. Regions are restructured to reflect as closely as possible an equal number of Republican membersMembers from each region. Each region elects its Steering Committee member. If Steering Committee 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 Congresscurrent membership of the Republican Steering Committee. Table 1. Republican Steering Committee Designated Representative Member Serving in 109th110th Congress Comments Speaker of the House Denny HastertRepublican Leader John Boehner Has 5 votes in Steering Committee Majority Leader Tom DeLay Has 2 votes in Steering Committee Majority Whip Roy BluntMinority Whip Roy Blunt Has 2 votes Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor Republican Conference Chair Deborah PryceAdam Putnam Republican Conference Vice Chair Jack KingstonKay Granger Republican Conference Secretary John DolittleCarter Republican Policy Chair John ShadeggThad McCotter NRCC Chair Tom ReynoldsCole Appropriations Committee Chairranking member Jerry Lewis Energy and Commerce Committee Chairranking member Joe Barton Rules Committee Chair David Dreier ranking member David Dreier CRS-3 Designated Representative Member Serving in 110th Congress Comments 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, 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 IV Representative Dave Camp Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana Region V Representative John McHugh New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland Region VI Representative Curt Weldon Pennsylvania, New Jersey Region VII Representative Ralph Regula Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia Region VIII Representative Hal Rogers Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky Region IX Representative Spencer 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 108th Class Representative John 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 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 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 to reflect equal Democratic representation among regions. The number of appointments made by the party leader can also change. Table 2 depicts the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee as constituted at the beginning of the 109th Congress. Table 2. Democratic Steering Committee Designated Representative Member Serving in the 109th Congress Comments Steering Committee Chair Nancy Pelosi Steering Committee Co-Chair Rosa 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 DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel Senior Chief Deputy Whip John Lewis Chief Deputy Whip Joe Crowley Chief Deputy Whip Diana DeGette Chief Deputy Whip Ron Kind Chief Deputy Whip Ed Pastor Chief Deputy Whip Jan Schakowsky Region I Brad Sherman Southern California: 23-53 Region II Dennis Cardoza Northern California: 1-22; Hawaii, American Samoa, 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, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma Region V Brian Baird Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho Region VI Eddie Bernice Johnsonranking member Jim McCrery California Representative Ken Calvert Texas Representative Lamar Smith Region I Representative Doc Hastings Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico Region II Representative Lee Terry Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota Region III Representative Ray LaHood Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas Region IV Representative Dave Camp Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia Region V Representative John McHugh New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Puerto Rico Region VI Representative Bill Young Florida, South Carolina Region VII Representative Ralph Regula Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee Region VIII Representative Hal Rogers North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia Region IX Representative John Linder Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia Small State Representative Don Young Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, Connecticut 109th Class Representative Cathy McMorris 110th Class Representative Kevin McCarthy CRS-4 Democratic Caucus Procedures Democratic Caucus rules address selecting committee chairs and ranking minority members. 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 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 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 to reflect equal Democratic representation among regions. The number of appointments made by the party leader can also change. Table 2 depicts the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee as constituted at the beginning of the 110th Congress. Table 2. Democratic Steering Committee Designated Representative Member Serving in the 110th Congress Steering Committee Chair Nancy Pelosi Steering Committee Co-Chair Rosa DeLauro Policy Committee Co-Chair George Miller Vice-Chair Marion Berry Vice-Chair Hilda Solis Whip James Clyburn Democratic Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel Democratic Caucus Vice-Chair John Larson DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen Senior Chief Deputy Whip John Lewis Chief Deputy Whip Joe Crowley Chief Deputy Whip Diana DeGette Chief Deputy Whip G.K. Butterfield Chief Deputy Whip Ed Pastor Comments CRS-5 Designated Representative Member Serving in the 110th Congress Comments Chief Deputy Whip John Tanner Chief Deputy Whip Maxine Waters Chief Deputy Whip Debbie Wasserman Schultz Chief Deputy Whip Jan Schakowsky Region I Brad Sherman Southern California: 23-53 Region II Jerry McNerney Northern California: 1-22; Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Alaska Region III Tammy Baldwin Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin Region IV Jan Schakowsky Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma Region V Tom Udall Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho Region VI Gene Green Texas Region VII Jim Cooper Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico Region VIII G.K. Butterfield Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida Region IX Dutch Ruppersberger Maryland, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia, D.C., Delaware Region X Sherrod BrownRobert Brady Ohio, Pennsylvania, KentucyKentucky Region XI Gregory Meeks New York Region XII Mike CapuanoJohn Tierney Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont Appropriations Committee Ranking MemberChair David Obey Budget Committee Ranking MemberChair John Spratt Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member John Dingell Rules Committee Ranking MemberChair John Dingell CRS-6 Designated Representative Member Serving in the 110th Congress Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank Rules Committee Chair Louis Slaughter Ways and Means Committee Ranking MemberChair Charles Rangel Organization Study and and Review (OSR) 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 TierneyMike Capuano Freshman Representative Kathy Castor Members appointed by Democratic Leader Dennis Cardoza Jerry Costello Artur Davis Lloyd Doggett Kirsten Gillibrand Rush Holt Doris Matsui Kendrick Meek Charlie Melancon Tim Ryan Loretta Sanchez Gene Taylor Mike Thompson Nydia Velazquez Comments