Standing committee ( United States Congress ) - Wikipedia Standing committee ( United States Congress ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2015 ) Main article : United States congressional committee In the United States Congress, standing committees are permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules. ( House Rule X, Senate Rule XXV. ) Because they have legislative jurisdiction, standing committees consider bills and issues and recommend measures for consideration by their respective chambers. They also have oversight responsibility to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and in some cases in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions. Due to their permanent nature, these committees exist beyond the adjournment of each two - year meeting of Congress. Most standing committees recommend funding levels -- authorizations -- for government operations and for new and existing programs. A few have other functions. For example, the Appropriations Committees recommend legislation to provide budget authority for federal agencies and programs. The Budget Committees establish aggregate levels for total spending and revenue that serve as guidelines for the work of the authorizing and appropriating panels. Committees also provide oversight of federal agencies and programs. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 greatly reduced the number of committees. The membership of each committee is adopted at the beginning of each Congress, usually by adoption of a formal resolution. Each committee is assigned its own staff to assist with its legislative, investigative, and research functions. Several committees divide their work into sub units called subcommittees. Committee sizes range from 6 to 50 members per committee. In the House, one person may not serve on more than two standing committees and four subcommittees at one time, though waivers can be granted to serve on additional committees. Also in the House, the House Republican Steering Committee assigns Republican representatives to their committee ( s ), while the Steering and Policy Committee is in charge of assigning Democratic representatives to committees. The Senate follows similar procedures, with senators being limited to no more than three full committees and five sub-committees. Current number of standing committees As of June 17, 2017, the Senate had 16 standing committees and the House had 20 standing committees. ( The count is for standing committees only and does not include select or special committees or joint committees. See those articles for that information. ) See also List of current United States House of Representatives committees List of current United States Senate committees Select or special committee Standing Committee Standing Committee of the National People 's Congress ( NPCSC ) Standing Committee ( UK ) References Jump up ^ https://www.gop.gov/resources/library/documents/rules/house-republican-steering-committee-113th-congress.pdf Jump up ^ http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/republican-steering-committee-recommends-house-committee-chairs-114th-congress Jump up ^ http://www.democraticleader.gov/newsroom/pelosi-announces-steering-policy-committee-co-chairs-members-2/ Jump up ^ Committees of the U.S. Congress Current United States congressional committees Senate ( list ) Aging ( Special ) Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Ethics ( Select ) Finance Foreign Relations Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Indian Affairs Intelligence ( Select ) Judiciary Narcotics ( Caucus ) Rules and Administration Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans ' Affairs House ( list ) Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education and the Workforce Energy and Commerce Ethics Financial Services Foreign Affairs Homeland Security House Administration Intelligence ( Permanent Select ) Judiciary Natural Resources Oversight and Government Reform Rules Science, Space, and Technology Small Business Transportation and Infrastructure Veterans ' Affairs Ways and Means ( Whole ) Joint ( list ) ( Conference ) Economic Inaugural Ceremonies ( Special ) Library Printing Taxation Standing committees, Defunct committees United States Congress House of Representatives Senate ( 114th ← 115th → 116th ) Lists of congressional lists Members and leaders Members Current By length of service Freshmen Youngest members Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Delegates Senate Current by seniority Dean of the Senate Former U.S. Senators living Earliest serving Earliest living Expelled or censured Classes Born outside the U.S. House Current by seniority Dean of the House Former U.S. Representatives living Oldest living Earliest serving Expelled, censured, and reprimanded Leaders Senate President ( list ) President pro tempore ( list ) Majority and minority leaders Assistant party leaders Democratic Caucus ( Chair Secretary Policy Committee Chair ) Republican Conference ( Chair Vice-Chair Policy Committee Chair ) House Speaker Leaders Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group Democratic Caucus Republican Conference Districts List Apportionment Caucuses, women and minorities Congressional caucus African Americans in the House Congressional Black Caucus African Americans in the Senate Arab and Middle - 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Question: what are the standing committees of the house and senate
Answer: permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules