Standing Committee System (Since 1816); Senate History
During the second session of the Fourteenth Congress, meeting in December 1816, the Senate agreed to create 11 permanent standing committees: Foreign Relations, Finance, Commerce and Manufactures, Military Affairs, Militia, Naval Affairs, Public Lands, Claims, Judiciary, Post Offices and Post Roads, and Pensions. Five members were appointed to each committee, with the exception of Commerce and Judiciary, each of which began with four members.
From the Congressional Research Service: Committee Assignments
While Senate rules are fairly clear regarding how nominations are to be approved, they do not address how the nominations of Senators to committees are to be made. In practice, each party vests its conference with the authority to make nominations to standing committees. 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 two panels use are distinct, but the nominations of each panel require the approval of the full party conference and, ultimately, the Senate. Senate approval of the committee nominations of its parties usually is pro forma because the Senate respects the work of each party. It has been customary for third-party and independent Senators to caucus with one of the major parties. At least for committee assignment purposes, such a Senator is considered a member of that conference and receives his or her committee assignments from that conference through its regular process.
Appointment
The committee assignment process in the Senate is guided by Senate rules along with party rules and practices. Most new members arrive at the Senate with a "wish list" of committee assignments. They recognize that appointment to committees with a special impact on the interests of their states and regions can promote their own legislative effectiveness. For Senate party leaders, the committee appointment process offers a means of promoting party discipline through the granting or withholding of desired assignments.
Until the mid-19th century, the Senate made committee appointments either by vote of the full body or decision of its presiding officer. The first method proved inordinately time consuming; the second provoked controversy and dissatisfaction. Finally, in 1846, members agreed to a procedure under which both political parties within the Senate would submit for the full body's approval a slate of members to fill the various committee seats. This new plan fostereddevelopmentof Senate party conferences (Democrats informally use the designation "caucus"). Independents and members of third parties have received committee assignments through one or the other of the major party conferences.
In the practice of recent years, party conferences convene before the start of each new Congress to elect leaders and determine committee assignments. Each party conference appoints a "committee on committees" to prepare a roster of members it wishes named to the party's specifically allotted committee seats. The percentage of a party's representation within the Senate determines the percentage of seats it will gain on each committee, although exact numbers are subject to negotiation between party floor leaders.
Party conference rules provide that each newly elected senator may choose a committee assignment before any other newly elected member is allowed to make a second committee choice. New senators make their selections according to a priority system that givesfirstchoice to those who have previously served in the Senate, then to those with prior House service, and finally to those who served as their state's governor. All other new members have their order of choice determined by random drawing.
The Role of Seniority in Selection of Chairmen and Ranking Members
Traditionally, the majority party member with the greatest seniority on a particular committee serves as its chairman. When the Republican Party gained the majority in 1995, it altered its conference rules to allow Republicans on individual committees to vote by secret ballot for their committee's chairman, irrespective of that member's seniority. This adjustment was a logical consequence of the party's larger decision to place a six-year term limit on the service of its chairmen or, when in the minority, its ranking members.
Here are the complete transcripts of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on selected Supreme Court justice nominations since 1971. (File sizes are extremely large and may be slow to open. All files are in PDF.)
Editor's Note: Apparently, transcripts for Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh are not ready as yet (September 26, 2018)
Brett M. Kavanaugh
S. Hrg. held Sep 4, 5, 6, 7, 2018
Neil M. Gorsuch
S. Hrg. 115-208, Mar 20, 21, 22, 23, 2017
Elena Kagan
S.Hrg. 111-1044, Jun 28, 29, 30 and Jul 1, 2010
Sonia Sotomayor
S.Hrg. 111-503, Jul 13, 14, 15, 16, 2009
Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
S.Hrg. 109-277, Jan 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 2006
John G. Roberts, Jr.
S.Hrg. 109-158, Sep 12, 13, 14, 15, 2005
Stephen G. Breyer
S.Hrg. 103-715, Jul 12, 13, 14, 15, 1994
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
S.Hrg. 103-482, Jul 20, 21, 22, 23, 1993
Clarence Thomas
S.Hrg. 102-1084, parts 1-4
Part 1, Sep 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 1991
Part 2, Sep 17 and 19, 1991
Part 3, Sep 20, 1991
Part 4, Oct 11, 12, 13, 1991
David H. Souter
S.Hrg. 101-1263, Sep 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 1990
Anthony M. Kennedy
S.Hrg. 100-1037, Dec 14, 15, 16, 1987
William H. Rehnquist (to be Chief Justice)
S.Hrg. 99-1067, Jul 29, 30, 31 and Aug 1, 1986
Antonin Scalia
S.Hrg. 99-1064, Aug 5 and 6, 1986
Sandra Day O'Connor
No. 87-101, Sep 9, 10, 11, 1981
John Paul Stevens
No. 63-774, Dec 8, 9, 10, 1975
William H. Rehnquist (to be Associate Justice)
No. 69-267, Nov 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 1971
Lewis F. Powell Jr.
No. 69-267, Nov 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 1971
Pages: 1 · 2
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