House Select Committee on Homeland Security: Possible Questions Raised if the Panel Were to Be Reconstituted as a Standing Committee Page: 2 of 4
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CRS-2
possible jurisdictional realignment. If the House decides to create a permanent committee
on homeland security:
" Will House Rule X be amended to include specific jurisdictional terms
for a new standing committee?
" If so, will changes be effected pursuant to H.Res. 5 at the start of the
109th Congress? Will they be effected prior to the conclusion of the 108th
Congress? Will they be phased in over several Congresses?
" Will other committees' jurisdiction be changed to accommodate the
jurisdiction of the new panel?
" Will jurisdictional changes affect only homeland security, or is a more
extensive realignment anticipated?
" Will jurisdictional changes be made in concert with possible changes in
referral procedures?
" Will legislative jurisdictional changes also reflect possible changes in
oversight responsibilities? Can a standing committee be authorized to
conduct only oversight?
Referral
The Speaker has the authority to refer measures to a committee with primary
jurisdiction, as well as to additional committees sequentially. Further, he can impose time
limitations on committees receiving referrals. In the 108th Congress, the Speaker was
granted the authority to refer measures without designation of a primary committee "under
exceptional circumstances." To date, the Select Committee has received measures as the
primary committee, as well as in a sequential manner. However, several measures
defined by some as relating to homeland security issues were not referred to the select
committee. If the House decides to create a permanent committee on homeland security:
" Will referral rules and procedures need to be changed?
" Will the homeland security panel always be the primary panel on
measures affecting homeland security? If not, will it always receive a
sequential referral?
" Will "exceptional circumstances" be clarified to mean homeland security
in its broadest definition?
" Will referral changes be made in concert with possible jurisdictional
changes?
Assignments
Both parties make committee assignments pursuant to House rules and respective
party caucus or conference rules, and generally limit the number and type of panels on
which a Member can serve. Although waivers are granted, such waivers must be
approved by the party caucus or conference. To serve on the Select Committee, several
Members in each party (three Republicans and 13 Democrats) took a leave-of-absence
from other committees in order to conform with their respective party assignment limits.
Simultaneously, several Members were granted temporary assignments to serve on panels
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Schneider, Judy. House Select Committee on Homeland Security: Possible Questions Raised if the Panel Were to Be Reconstituted as a Standing Committee, report, August 5, 2004; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc807461/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.