Want to know which House members are on which congressional committees? You can look it up.
Who is on House Armed Services Subcommittees? Click here.
Want to know who are the Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee and the various subcommittees? Click here.
Democrats on the same committee? Click here.
And the Senate committees?
Halt. Stop there. Don’t move forward yet. Don’t pass go.
The Senate works at a more leisurely pace than the House. We all know that.
The committees are not yet complete because they can’t appoint freshmen to the committees because the leadership of the two parties have not yet determined the Democrat-Republican ratio on each committee now that Republicans have gained six seats.
The Senate does not yet even have agreed-upon rules and procedures to govern its actions for the next two years.
And because the freshmen Senators have not yet been assigned to committees or subcommittees – job hunters alert — they cannot hire policy staff to do the committee work.
In fact, the new Senators were sworn in on January 5 and then the Senate immediately took a hiatus. Went home. Or away. Or visited hot spots around the globe. Certainly did not go on vacation.
But while magicians and older men and women throughout the ages have tried to stop time, the Senate in fact has done just that. When the Senate reconvenes. On Tuesday, January 25, it will still be the same legislative day as January 5 when the new Senate reconvened..
It seems that the two party leaders are negotiating about the party ratios and whether to change any of the rules – such as making it a bit harder to mount filibusters. Those new rules and procedures tend to be adopted on the first day of session. Which began on January 5 and is still running.
Reminds me of the old joke: When is a day 504 hours rather than 24? When the Senate determines those days.
Freshmen Senators of both parties are frustrated by the slow pace of action in the Senate, but what is new?
It will all be resolved.
Eventually.
Freshmen Senators will get their committee assignments.
Eventually.
In the meantime, relax and bide your time.
