Committees of the United States Senate

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/committees-of-the-united-states-senate

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary legislative bodies?Standing Committees, responsible for ongoing policy areas and legislative drafting
2. What is the key functions?Legislation drafting, oversight of executive agencies, and policy deliberation
3. What is a standing committee in the U.S. Senate?A standing committee is a permanent group of senators that looks at specific policy areas, like agriculture or finance. They draft, change, and report bills to the whole Senate.
4. How does a bill go through a Senate committee?When a bill is introduced, it is sent to the committee that handles its topic. Senators debate it, hold hearings, and decide whether to report it favorably, unfavorably, or not at all.

Jurisdiction: The official authority or power of a committee to make legal decisions and judgments.
Oversight: The process by which Congress monitors the executive branch and its implementation of laws.
Legislative Process: The formal procedure by which a bill becomes a law, involving committees and floor debate.