{
  "id": "RL30743",
  "type": "CRS Report",
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      "id": 341194,
      "date": "2006-11-03",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T22:41:57.164372",
      "title": "Committee Assignment Process in the U.S. Senate: Democratic and Republican Party Procedures",
      "summary": "Because of the importance of committee work, Senators consider desirable committee assignments a priority. The key to securing favorable committee slots is often said to be targeting committee seats that match the legislator\u2019s skills, expertise, and policy concerns.\nAfter general elections are over, one of the first orders of business for Senate leaders is setting the sizes and ratios of committees. Although the size of each standing committee is set in Senate rules, changes in these sizes often result from inter-party negotiations before each new Congress. Senate party leaders also negotiate the party ratios on standing committees. Determinations of sizes and ratios usually are made before the process of assigning Senators to committees.\nOnce sizes and ratios of standing committees are determined, a panel for each party nominates colleagues for committee assignments. Senate Republicans primarily use a Committee on Committees for this purpose, although the Republican leader nominates Senators for assignment to some standing committees. Senate Democrats use a Steering and Outreach Committee to nominate Democrats for assignment to all standing committees. The processes these panels use are distinct. Republicans rely on a seniority formula to make nominations, while Democrats make nominations on a seat-by-seat basis, considering a variety of factors.\nThe processes also have many common features. After the general election, each panel solicits preferences for committee assignment from party colleagues, then matches these preferences with vacancies on standing committees. Senate rules, along with party rules and practices, guide the work of the Committee on Committees and the Steering and Outreach Committee. Senate rules, for instance, divide the standing and other Senate committees into three groups, the so-called \u201cA\u201d \u201cB\u201d and \u201cC\u201d categories. Senators must serve on two \u201cA\u201d committees and may serve on one \u201cB\u201d committee, and any number of \u201cC\u201d committees. Exceptions to these restrictions are sometimes approved by the Senate. Both parties place further limitations, for example, by generally prohibiting two Senators from the same party and state from serving on the same committee.\nThe nominations of each of these panels require the approval of the pertinent full party conference and ultimately the Senate. Approval at both stages usually is granted easily, because of the debate and decision-making earlier in the process.\nSpecific rules regarding Senate membership on and appointments to non-standing committees vary from committee to committee, but party leaders usually are included in the process.\nFor more information on Senate and party rules governing assignment limitations, see CRS Report 98-183, Senate Committees: Categories and Rules for Committee Assignments.",
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      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "CongOpsList",
          "id": 4138,
          "name": "Senate Committee System and Proceedings"
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc808693/",
      "id": "RL30743_2003Jan23",
      "date": "2003-01-23",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Committee Assignment Process in the U.S. Senate: Democratic and Republican Party Procedures",
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}