NFIB

Committee Changes to Impact Legislative Process
10/ 17/ 2003

Though the party affiliations in the 107th Congress do not vary by large numbers from the 106th, the changes that did occur will make a dramatic difference in how this Congress works, according to Susan Eckerly, NFIB director of federal public policy for the Senate.

"The Senate is now tied 50-50, with the vice president breaking tie votes. This situation is uncharted territory," explains Eckerly. "Cooperation will be necessary to make anything happen. The vice president is likely to be much more involved than before.

"Makeup in the Senate committees will change to reflect the new Senate numbers," she adds. "Most committees will now have only one more Republican than Democrat, instead of two or three more. And the powerful Senate Finance Committee, formerly chaired by Delaware Sen. Bill Roth, will now be chaired by Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley."

In the House, there will be new chairs of at least three committees critical to small business: Ways and Means, Commerce and Small Business. While the new chairs are expected to be pro-small business lawmakers like their predecessors, they are also likely to have different issue priorities and will strongly influence the direction of new legislation and its impact on small business. In addition, the membership of these and other committees will likely change significantly.

"It's important for small business owners to become familiar with the legislative process and to know who sits on key congressional committees," Eckerly says. "If your representative or senator is on a key committee, he or she could be the deciding vote on whether or not a small business bill is even considered for a full vote. As a result, you could play a key role in getting pro-small business legislation passed in the new Congress."

What You Can Do: You can go online to nfib.com to find out on what committees your lawmakers serve. Or, you can call 1.800.552.NFIB (6342) or request information by email from grassroots@nfib.org.

---

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2001 issue of www.mybusinessmag.com.

Small Business Sound Off
Does this story hit home?  Share your story with us