Congressman Tom Rice

Representing the 7th District of South Carolina

Committees and Caucuses

Congressman Rice currently serves on Ways and Means Committee and on the Oversight, Social Security, and Human Resources Subcommittees.

Ways and Means Committee Jurisdiction

The House 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 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 within the Ways and Means’ purview.

Subcommittee on Oversight Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Oversight includes all matters within the scope of the full Committee’s jurisdiction but shall be limited to existing law.  Said oversight jurisdiction shall not be exclusive but shall be concurrent with that of the other Subcommittees.  With respect to matters involving the Internal Revenue Code and other revenue issues, said concurrent jurisdiction shall be shared with the full Committee.  Before undertaking any investigation or hearing, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight shall confer with the Chairman of the full Committee and the Chairman of any other Subcommittee having jurisdiction.

Subcommittee on Social Security Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Social Security includes legislation and issues related to Social Security’s retirement, survivors and disability programs, the Railroad Retirement program, and employment taxes and trust fund operations relating to those programs, including title II of the Social Security Act, Chapter 22 of the Internal Revenue Code (the Railroad Retirement Tax Act), as well as provisions in title VII and title XI of the Act involving the Old Age and Survivors’ and Disability Insurance (OASDI) programs.

Subcommittee on Human Resources Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources includes bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 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.  More specifically, the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources includes bills and matters relating to titles I, IV, VI, X, XIV, XVI, XVII, XX and related provisions of titles VII and XI of the Social Security Act.

The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources also includes bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means that relate to the Federal-State system of unemployment compensation, and the financing thereof, including the programs for extended and emergency benefits.  More specifically, the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Human Resources also includes all bills and matters pertaining to the programs of unemployment compensation under titles III, IX and XII of the Social Security Act, Chapters 23 and 23A of the Internal Revenue Code, and the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970, and provisions relating thereto.