“Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.” This observation, by political scientist Woodrow Wilson in his doctoral thesis, Congressional Government (1884), is perhaps even more reflective of the operations of the twenty-first century House of Representatives.
To capture that essential aspect of the House, the Office of the Historian is updating several existing histories of House committees.Currently the Office is researching the history of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the Committee on Ways and Means. The Office of the Historian recently completed a history of the Committee on Science and Technology. Below is a link to PDF Documents of completed Committee Histories by the Office of the House Historian.
Committee History Updates by the Office of the House Historian
The following chart provides the current state of the history of House committees.
Existing Committee Histories
As of July 2009
| Agriculture |
Committee on Agriculture: 150th Anniversary, by Committee, 1970 |
| Appropriations |
A History of the Committee on Appropriations, by E. Taylor, 1941 |
| Armed Services |
None |
| Budget |
None |
| Education and Labor |
History of the Committee, Orange Booklet, 1970
The Office of the Historian is currently updating |
| Energy and Commerce |
180 Years of Service: A Brief History of the Committee On Interstate
and For Commerce, by Committee, 1975 |
| Financial Services |
None |
| Foreign Affairs |
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs, by Albert Westphal, 1968
The Office of the Historian is currently updating |
| Homeland Security |
None |
| House Administration |
None |
| Judiciary |
History of the House Judiciary Committee, by Committee, 2007 |
| Natural Resources |
Historical Information of the Cmte on Resources: 1807-2002, 2002 |
| Oversight and Gov’t Reform |
None |
| Rules |
A History of the Committee on Rules, by Committee, 1983 |
| Science and Technology |
The Office of the Historian has just published a brief history of the House Committee on Science and Technology
http://science.house.gov/about/history_committee.shtml COMPLETED |
| Small Business |
None |
| Standards of Official Conduct |
None, history of cases on committee website |
| Transportation and Infrastructure |
Structure and Function on the Committee on Public Works,
by Committee, 1974 |
| Veterans Affairs |
History of House Committees Considering Veteran's Legislation, 1990
Office of the Historian is currently updating |
| Ways and Means |
The Committee on Ways and Means, by Donald Kennon and Rebecca Rogers, 1989
Office of the Historian is currently updating |
| Intelligence |
None |
