What is the significance of a committee assignment for a member of Congress?
The committee assignments that a member of Congress receives can dictate how big an impact she can make. The right assignments bring prestige, power and increased ability to help constituents.PrestigeBeing a member of certain committees carries a lot of prestige. The House and Senate appropriations committees, for example, are responsible for directing all federal spending, while members of the intelligence committees receive classified briefings.InfluenceThe right committee assignment can give a member of Congress a great deal of influence on a particular issue. A lawmaker committed to, say, development of solar power or hybrid cars could press that agenda with a seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.Constituent ServiceCommittees also put members in position to deliver federal assistance to their constituents. A farm-state lawmaker can do a lot for his state from a seat on an agriculture committee.AssignmentsCommittee assignments are made by party leaders at the beginning of
