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The majority holds every committee
Majority in every committee
In 2019, the House Agriculture Committee had more Democrats than Republicans, and the Senate Agriculture Committee had more Republicans than Democrats. Each chamber's majority party carried its edge into every committee.
Why it matters
That is one reason the majority party has so much power. It can set the agenda, set the terms of the debate, and ultimately decide what gets voted on and what stays in committee.
Who sits where
Before each new Congress, every two years, a committee committee chooses who sits on the committees. Over the last several decades, party leaders have taken increasing power away from committees, which now do a lot of implementing of changes the majority has already agreed on.
How do members get committee seats?
Each party has a panel, often called a steering or committee-assignment committee, that recommends who gets which seats. Members submit their preferred assignments, and the full party conference approves the slate. Some powerful House panels, such as Ways and Means and Appropriations, are designated exclusive, so members generally cannot serve on others. The Senate follows a similar party-run process.
How did chairs lose their seniority grip?
For most of the 20th century, the member with the longest continuous service on a committee became its chair. In 1975, House Democrats voted out three veteran committee chairs, which ended seniority as an automatic rule. Republicans added six-year term limits for chairs when they took the House in 1995.
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