Committees

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have various committees, comprised of certain members, which have jurisdiction over specific issue areas. These committees play an important role in the legislative process, and are often where legislation that comes before the House floor is initially sent for review. Among the different functions that these committees perform are holding hearings on particular issues, marking up bills that are referred to their attention, and overseeing agencies under their jurisdiction. There are 20 current standing committees in the House, and 20 committees in the Senate; the two sets of committees are related but each has their own guidelines, leading to significant differences between the panels of the two chambers.

Congressman Brady is the Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, and is additionally a member of the Committee on Armed Services.

In his role as the Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, Congressman Brady is often referred to as the “Mayor of Capitol Hill”, as he is responsible for monitoring the daily functions of the Hill, including the Capitol Visitor’s Center and the 1,300 member Capitol Police force. Additionally, he leads the Committee’s oversight of the Smithsonian Institution, the National Zoo, and the Library of Congress. In January, Congressman Brady also had the honor of formally announcing the votes of the Electoral College, which officially declared Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States.

In his role on the Committee on Armed Services, Congressman Brady serves on the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces. As a member of this Committee, Congressman Brady continues to fight for the well being of our men and women and uniform. 

Additionally, there are four Joint Committees comprised of Members drawn from both the House of Representatives and the Senate. These are the Joint Economic Committee, the Joint Committee on the Library, the Joint Committee on Printing, and the Joint Committee on Taxation. Congressman Brady is the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing, the main function of which is to oversee the Government Printing Office, the principal printing organization for lawmakers and all Federal agencies.

Committee hearings are almost always open to the public and no tickets are required, although seating is often limited. To find a legislative calendar of the Committees, visit the Committee on House Administration website, or the Committee on Armed Services website.  Additionally, these hearings are also made available on the internet via Webcast, and can often be viewed through the Committee websites.