House Committee on Agriculture

The responsibilities of the House Committee on Agriculture include, among others, renewable energy, rural development, disaster assistance, nutrition, crop insurance, conservation, international trade, futures market regulation, animal and plant health, agricultural research and development, bioterrorism, forestry and many others.

House Committee on Education and Labor

The Committee on Education and Labor oversees all federal education and labor programs and initiatives including pensions and retirement security for workers.

House Committee on Financial Services

The House Financial Services Committee oversees all components of the nation’s housing and financial services sectors including banking, insurance, real estate, public and assisted housing, and securities. The Committee continually reviews the laws and programs relating to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and international development and finance agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

House Committee on Ways and Means

The Committee on Ways and Means is considered the most powerful House Committee. The Committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs and other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number of other programs including, Social Security. The U.S. Constitution requires that all bills regarding taxation originate in the House of Representatives, and House Rules direct that all bills regarding taxation go through this Committee. These stipulations make the Ways and Means Committee particularly powerful, especially in comparison with its Senate counterpart, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance.