Title: Congress of the United States | Scholastic
Headings: Congress of the United States
Congress of the United States
Content: Committees and  Subcommittees. Whereas party organization and leadership are not insignificant  in Congress, the most important organizational feature of the House and  Senate is the structure of their committees. Early in the 19th century  the congressional houses used few committees. As legislative business  became more varied and complex the division of labor among members became  more complex as well. Ultimately, committees and their subcommittees came  to provide the locus of most congressional work. Congressional committees  are organized along substantive policy lines. Generally, they correspond  to the major departments of the executive branch. Thus both the House  and the Senate have created committees concerned with agriculture, defense,  housing, commerce, science and technology, education, government operations,  international relations, judiciary affairs, and service veterans. The  work of each committee is further subdivided so that it can be considered  by subcommittees. " Congress in committee is Congress at work,"  Woodrow Wilson once wrote.