Jim is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which is responsible for writing tax law. Since the Ways and Means Committee is also responsible for dealing with any and all tax-related matters, nearly every issue falls under the Committee's jurisdiction – this includes health care, Social Security, economic development, trade, the environment, housing, and personal and corporate taxes, just to name a few. Below is the official description of the Committee, as well as the Subcommittees of which Jim is a member. 

House Ways and Means Committee, Senior Member
The Committee on Ways and Means is the oldest committee of the United States Congress, and is the chief tax-writing committee in the House of Representatives. The Committee derives a large share of its jurisdiction from Article I, Section VII of the U.S. Constitution which declares, "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives." The Committee exercises jurisdiction over revenue and related issues such as tariffs, reciprocal trade agreements, and the bonded debt of the United States.  Revenue-related aspects of the Social Security system, Medicare, and social services programs also fall under the Ways and Means Committee's jurisdiction.

• Subcommittee on Trade, Ranking Member
  The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Trade includes bills and matters that relate to customs and customs administration including tariff and import fee structure, classification, valuation of and special rules applying to imports, and special tariff provisions and procedures which relate to customs operation affecting exports and imports.
  
  
• Subcommittee on Human Resources, Senior Member
  The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources includes bills and matters that relate to the public assistance provisions of the Social Security Act, including temporary assistance for needy families, child care, child and family services, child support, foster care, adoption, supplemental security income, social services, eligibility of welfare recipients for food stamps, and low-income energy assistance.
  
  
• Subcommittee on Oversight, Member
  The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Oversight shall include all matters within the scope of the full Committee’s jurisdiction but shall be limited to existing law.