Assignments to Senate Subcommittees

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Sizes and Ratios........................................................................................................................1
Process for Selecting Subcommittee Leaders and Members.....................................................1
Limits on Subcommittee Assignments......................................................................................1
Limits on Service as Subcommittee Chair................................................................................2
Author Contact Information............................................................................................................2

ne of the first orders of business for Senate committees is deciding whether to establish
subcommittees, and if so, determining their number, sizes, party ratios, chairs, ranking
minority members, and other members. There are no direct limits on the number of O

subcommittees that may be created.
Senate and party rules are silent on subcommittee size. A committee often determines its
subcommittee sizes through interparty negotiations, especially between the committee’s chair and
ranking minority member.
Neither Senate nor party rules discuss how subcommittee chairs, ranking members, and other
members are selected. However, there are two prevalent approaches. Under one approach, the full
committee chair exercises discretion to choose subcommittee leaders and members. Consultation
with the ranking minority member and other committee members is common; some committees’
rules explicitly require prior consultation, particularly with the ranking minority member or
majority-party members of the full committee.
Under the other common practice, Senators choose subcommittee leadership slots and other
assignments in order of seniority on the full committee. Typically, there are separate, parallel
processes for Republicans and Democrats, allowing each Senator to choose one subcommittee
assignment before anyone in the same party chooses a second assignment. Each Senator then
selects a second assignment before anyone in the same party selects a third assignment.
Although they do not address the assignment process, both Senate and Republican Conference
rules limit the number of subcommittee assignments or chairs per Senator. Senate rules do not
limit subcommittee ranking memberships, and Democrats do not have written Conference Rules
addressing subcommittee assignment and leadership issues.
Senate Rule XXV establishes three categories of committees, popularly called the “A” “B” and
“C” committees. Senators generally are limited to two “A” and one “B” committee assignments,
although waivers can be granted. In addition, Senators are restricted from serving on more than
three subcommittees of each “A” committee (except Appropriations) and two subcommittees of a
“B” committee (Senate Rule XXV, paragraph 4(b)(1) and (2)). The full committee limitations
sometimes are waived, and assignment to an additional committee usually also allows service on
additional subcommittees. No service restrictions exist on subcommittees of “C” committees,
although “C” subcommittees have been rare in recent years.
Special provision is made for the chair and ranking member of each full committee to serve ex
officio, without vote, as a member of any of a committee’s subcommittees (Senate Rule XXV,
paragraph 4(b)(3)). Some committees also allow their members to sit with any subcommittee
during its sessions, although their role may be restricted. For instance, some committees prohibit
Senators from participating in subcommittee votes if they are not regular members of a
subcommittee.

Senate rules essentially prohibit each Senator from chairing more than one subcommittee per
committee, and limit each Senator to three chairs of “A” and “B” committees and subcommittees
(Rule XXV, paragraph 4(e)(2) and (3)). A Senator who does not chair a full committee may chair
a subcommittee of each of the Senator’s two “A” committees and a subcommittee of the
Senator’s “B” committee. However, a Senator who chairs a full “A” or “B” committee may chair
only two subcommittees: the chair of a full “A” committee may chair one “A” and one “B”
subcommittee, while the chair of a full “B” committee may chair two “A” subcommittees.
Republican Conference rules further restrict the chairs held by Republican Senators (Conference
Rule V(C)). The chair of a full “A” committee may not chair any subcommittees, except of
Appropriations. The chair of a full “non-A” committee, except Ethics, may chair one
subcommittee. The chair of the Rules and Administration Committee may chair the Joint
Committee on the Library or the Joint Committee on Printing. Other Senators who are not full-
committee chairs may chair two subcommittees, although waivers can be granted. These
conference rules also apply to ranking memberships, should the Republicans be the minority
party.
(For additional information, see CRS Report 98-183, Senate Committees: Categories and Rules
for Committee Assignments and CRS Report RL30743, Committee Assignment Process in the
U.S. Senate: Democratic and Republican Party Procedures, both by Judy Schneider.)
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