List_of_defunct_United_States_congressional_committees

List of defunct United States congressional committees

List of defunct United States congressional committees

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The United States Congress has operated with more than 1,500 standing, special, select, or joint committees over the years.[1][2][3]

Most of these committees are now defunct. In some cases, their responsibilities were merged with those of other committees. For others, the committee remained in existence, but its name was changed. However, the bulk of committees were eliminated because they served a single purpose or it was deemed that subject matter no longer merited its own committee.

These lists contain both select and standing committees. When known, the committee's type, years, reason for elimination, and any successor committees are noted. Some committees, such as the myriad "Committee(s) to Investigate," are included in the list alphabetically by the primary subject matter being studied or investigated.

Early select committees were very fluid, serving their established function and then going out of existence. This makes tracking committees difficult, since many committees were known by the date they were created or by a petition or other document that had been referred to them. In a number of instances, the official journal and other congressional publications did not consistently refer to an individual committee by the same title. Though such inconsistencies still appeared during the 20th century, they were less frequent.[4] Therefore, this list does include hundreds of select committees established by Congress during its early years, particularly prior to 1795 and 1816, when a system of permanent standing committees was established in the House of Representatives and the Senate respectively.[5] The majority of these committees were assigned specific legislative bills, but many served merely ceremonial functions.[1]

In the 1st Congress (1789–1791), the House appointed about 220 select committees over the course of two years.[5] By the 3rd Congress (1793–1795), Congress had three permanent standing committees, the House Committee on Elections, the House Committee on Claims, and the Joint Committee on Enrolled Bills, but more than 350 select committees.[6] While the modern committee system is now firmly established in both House and Senate procedure, with the rules of each House establishing a full range of permanent standing committees and assigning jurisdiction of all legislative issues among them, select committees continue to be used to respond to unique and difficult issues as the need arises.[4]

Defunct House committees

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Defunct Senate committees

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Defunct joint committees

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References

  1. Walter Stubbs (1985), Congressional Committees, 1789-1982: A Checklist, Greenwood Press
  2. Robert Byrd (1992), The Senate: 1789-1989 Historical Statistics 1789-1992, Vol. 4, U.S. Government Printing Office
  3. Schamel, Charles E.; Mary Rephlo; Rodney Ross; David Kepley; Robert W. Coren; James Gregory Bradsher (1989). "Guide to the Records of the United States House of Representatives at the National Archives, 1789-1989: Bicentennial Edition". National Archives and Records Administration. pp. Chapter 22. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
  4. Canon, David T.; Garrison Nelson; Charles Stewart III (2002). Committees in the U.S. Congress: 1789-1946. Vol. 4, Select Committees. Washington, DC: CQ Press. ISBN 1-56802-175-5.
  5. Galloway, George B. (1946). Congress at the Crossroads. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co. p. 88.
  6. Congressional Quarterly Almanac, 103rd Congress, 1st Session, 1993, Vol. 49, Congressional Quarterly, 1993
  7. H.Res. 6: Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Fourth Congress.
  8. H.Res. 5: Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Seventh Congress.
  9. "Benghazi committee runs its course and ends operations". CNN.com. CNN.com. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  10. "Committee on Flood Control (1916-46) History and Jurisdiction". Archived from the original on 2017-07-20. Retrieved 2017-09-03.
  11. "Committee on Public Works (1947-68) History and Jurisdiction". Archived from the original on 2017-07-20. Retrieved 2017-09-03.
  12. Senate Journal. 37th Cong., 2nd sess. May 6, 1862. 450.
  13. Cong. Globe, 37th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1965 & 2112
  14. Cong. Globe, 31st Cong., 1st Sess. 762-764. (1850)
  15. Bitter Feelings in the Senate Chamber Retrieved on August 20, 2007
  16. The HOT SPRINGS of ARKANSAS THROUGH THE YEARS: A CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS. National Park Service "407KB". {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)407KB. Retrieved on August 16, 2007
  17. The Hot Springs Commission was authorized by a March 3, 1877, Act of Congress to survey Hot Springs Reservation and settle the remaining land claims of private citizens
  18. 2009 Congressional Record, Vol. 155, Page S6961 (June 24, 2009)
  19. 2009 Congressional Record, Vol. 155, Page S7833 (July 22, 2009)
  20. 2010 Congressional Record, Vol. 156, Page S1647 (March 17, 2010)
  21. Resolution of February 4, 1824. Res. 1, 4 Stat. 78
  22. Senate Journal. 39th Cong., Spec. sess. March 8, 1865, 349.
  23. Senate Journal. 41st Cong., 1st sess. March 3, 1869, 16.
  24. Senate Journal. 36th Cong., 1st sess. January 24, 1860 97
  25. Cong. Globe, 36th Cong., 1st Sess. 2491 (1860)
  26. Senate Journal. 36th Cong., 1st sess. May 31, 1860 544.
  27. Annals of Congress 16th Cong., 1st sess., 26
  28. Senate Journal. 25th Cong., 3rd sess. December 6, 1838 27
  29. Senate Journal. 31st Cong., 1st sess. April 19, 1850, 301..

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