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The Role of Subcommittees After the Republican Revolution

Bates College, Lewiston, Maine

House Republicans in the 104th Congress chose not to adopt Democratic rules reserving a role for subcommittees in policymaking, the Subcommittee Bill of Rights (SBR). Although the SBR did increase subcommittee power, subcommittees sometimes had considerable influence prior to the reforms as well. The question is whether and how much their role diminished under the Republicans. In fact, some Republican panels chose to devolve some of their power in the absence of the SBR. I suggest that we understand committee and subcommittee policymaking capacity as partial and contingent and that subcommittees can exercise influence in the absence of formal protections such as the SBR. I find that subcommittees are reappointed at the same rate as under the Democrats and are used as partisan tools to block minority party legislation and that they provide a source of influence for subcommittee chairs and an opportunity for logrolling.

Key Words: Congress • legislation • legislative process • Republican Revolution • legislative reform

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