Please provide only documented facts.
I'm trying to gather information.
Snarks need not respond.
This is what I've gotten thus far:
The Majority sets the agenda and controls what bills will come up for vote.
So is this important, and if so, why or why not?
also...
In the House, for instance, the leadership of the majority party controls the legislative agenda entirely. It decides not only which issues will be taken up, but also how they can be debated, whether amendments will be allowed, and how the matter will be handled on the House floor. If it wished, it could — and on occasion does — prevent the minority party from offering even a single amendment to important bills brought up on the floor during the session.
http://congress.indiana.edu/radio_commentaries/why_holding_the_majority_matters.phpand.... The majority selects who will chair which Committee.
I don't know who decides the subject matters to be taking up by the chair and the respective committees?
A list of the 16 Senate and 19 House standing committees; the 4 Senate and 3 House special/select committees; and the 4 joint committees. More information about each committee and the subjects it handles can be found on its website.
Senate CommitteesStanding
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Appropriations
Armed Services
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Budget
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Energy and Natural Resources
Environment and Public Works
Finance
Foreign Relations
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Judiciary
Rules and Administration
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Veterans' Affairs
Special, Select, and Other
Indian Affairs
Select Committee on Ethics
Select Committee on IntelligenceSpecial Committee on Aging
JointJoint Committee on Printing
Joint Committee on Taxation
Joint Committee on the Library
Joint Economic Committee
House CommitteesStanding
Agriculture
Appropriations
Armed Services
Financial Services
Budget
Transportation and Infrastructure
Science and Technology
Energy and Commerce
Ways and Means
Foreign Affairs
Oversight and Government Reform
Education and Labor
Homeland Security
Judiciary
Rules
House Administration
Small Business
Veterans' Affairs
Natural Resources
Special, Select, and OtherStandards of Official Conduct
Permanent Select Comm. on Intelligence
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
http://www.centeroncongress.org/learn_about/feature/qa_legislative_process.html#committee_structure