The House of Representatives’ 20 standing committees have different legislative jurisdictions. Each considers bills and issues and recommends measures for consideration by the House. Committees also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and in some cases in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions.

Current standing committees of the House: Agriculture; Appropriations; Armed Services; Budget; Commerce; Education and the Workforce; Ethics; Financial Services; Foreign Affairs; Homeland Security; House Administration; Judiciary; Natural Resources; Oversight and Government Reform; Rules; Science, Space, and Technology; Small Business; Transportation and Infrastructure; Veterans’ Affairs; and Ways and Means.

Before members are assigned to committees, each committee’s size and the proportion of Republicans to Democrats must be decided by the party leaders. The total number of committee slots allotted to each party is approximately the same as the ratio between majority party and minority party members in the full chamber.  Each committee has a chair and a ranking member. The chair heads the full committee. The ranking member leads the minority members of the committee.

Get answers to frequently asked questions about committees from the Clerk of the House.

Mike serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce -- One of the busiest and most important committees in Congress, the Energy and Commerce Committee is responsible for legislation affecting Medicare, Medicaid, telecommunications, energy, the Internet, health-based environmental laws, children's health, biotechnology, water resources, bioterrorism, homeland security, interstate commerce, consumer protection, and food and drug safety.

Each standing committee also has its own subcommittees, determined by the committee each session of Congress.  Mike currently serves on three Energy & Commerce Committee subcommittees:  the Health Subcommittee, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Manufacturing, and the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations.

• Committee on Energy & Commerce
  

• Subcommittee on Health
  • Jurisdiction includes Public health and quarantine; hospital construction; mental health and research; biomedical programs and health protection in general, including public and private health insurance; Food and drugs; and, Drug abuse.
    
    
• Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations
  • Jurisdiction: Responsibility for oversight of agencies, departments, and programs within the jurisdiction of the full committee, and for conducting investigations within such jurisdiction.

• Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade & Manufacturing
  • Jurisdiction includes Interstate and foreign commerce, including all trade matters within the jurisdiction of the full committee; Regulation of commercial practices (the FTC), including sports-related matters; Consumer affairs and consumer protection, including privacy matters generally; Consumer product safety (the CPSC); Product liability; Motor vehicle safety; and, Regulation of travel, tourism, and time.