Order Code 98-610 GOV
Updated March 9, 2001
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
House Subcommittees: Assignment Process
Judy Schneider
Specialist on the Congress
Government and Finance Division
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), no committee, except Appropriations and
Government Reform, can create more than five 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 provided. Committee chairs are generally
prohibited from chairing a subcommittee of that committee, and all committee and
subcommittee chairs are limited by House Rule X, clause 5(c)(2) as well as Republican
Conference Rule 14, to no more than three consecutive terms as chair, beginning with the
104th Congress.
Many subcommittee assignment decisions are affected by the full committee
assignment process. Information on that is provided in CRS Report 98-151, House
Committees: Categories and Rules for Committee Assignments, and CRS Report 98-367,
House Committees: Assignment Process.
Size and Ratio
Subcommittee sizes and party ratios are determined by the full committee, usually in
concert with the party leadership. Although negotiations are often held with the minority,
the prerogative remains with the majority. Generally, subcommittee ratios reflect the
same ratio as that of a full committee, which in turn reflects the ratio of majority to
minority members in the full House. Discussions on subcommittee sizes and ratios
traditionally begin soon after the November election, and often are completed by the
convening of the early organization meetings, usually held in November or December.
Final decisions are made after committee assignments are ratified on the House floor. Seat
changes within a Congress can necessitate adjusting subcommittee sizes and ratios.
Democratic Caucus Rule 26, which addresses subcommittees “when the Democratic
party is the majority," states that no subcommittee can be more than 60% of the size of a
full committee. It further states that the resident commissioner and delegates should not
be counted in determining subcommittee (or committee) size. Republican Conference
rules are silent on subcommittee size and ratio issues.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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CRS-2
Chair and Ranking Member Selection
Under Republican Conference rules, each committee chair determines and provides
to other Republican members of the committee the method for selecting subcommittee
chairs. However, a majority of the Republican members of the full committee can
disapprove the selection procedure. Under House rules, subcommittee chairs are limited
to six years of service. Republicans also limit members to a single committee or
subcommittee chairmanship, although the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and
House Administration Committee are exempt. Finally, Republican Conference rules
prohibit a full-committee chair from leading a subcommittee of the committee he or she
heads.
House Democrats allow each committee member to bid, in order of seniority, for
available subcommittee leadership slots. For all committees, except Appropriations, this
is done by full-committee seniority; for Appropriations, it is done by subcommittee
seniority. Caucus rules generally limit members to rank on only one full committee or one
subcommittee with legislative jurisdiction. Subcommittee leaders selected for the
Appropriations Committee and Ways and Means Committee require full Democratic
Caucus approval.
Subcommittee Assignments
Under House rules, Members are limited to service on four subcommittees, although
there are some exceptions. House rules are silent on how subcommittee assignments are
made. Rather, subcommittee assignments are governed by respective party rules and
practices.
Republicans generally leave the decisions on the subcommittee assignment process
to the committee leader to determine, although most committees employ a bidding
approach that allows members, in order of seniority, to select subcommittee slots.
Committee and party leaders also try to suggest certain subcommittee configurations in
order to retain more experienced members on key subcommittees.
Democrats formally provide in their caucus rules for a bidding process based on
seniority, whereby each member selects one choice before any member receives a second
assignment.
Pursuant to House Rule X, clause 5(b)(2)(B), chairs and ranking minority members
of full committees may serve as ex officio members of subcommittees of their committee
without that service counting against the limitation of no more than four subcommittees
per member. Some committees address in their committee rules the authority to vote by
ex officio members. Some panels allow voting by ex officio members, others do not.

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