Reorganization of the Senate: Modern Reform Efforts

Publication Date: October 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

Numerous reviews of the operations and structure of the Senate have been conducted in the past 60 years. Three joint committees, two select committees, two commissions, one study group, one standing committee, and party conferences have studied various aspects of the Senate and its committee system.

The contemporary Senate is primarily a product of two major laws and a significant overhaul of Senate Rules. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, among other things, codified committee jurisdictions, streamlined the committee system, and instituted a professional committee staffing structure. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 opened Congress to public scrutiny, modified committee and floor procedures, and enhanced Congress's research and budget capabilities. The work of the Temporary Select Committee to Study the Senate Committee System (Stevenson Committee) resulted in major changes in Senate committee jurisdiction.

Other overhaul efforts had a narrower scope or were disregarded at the time of the activity. The work of the Commission on the Operation of the Senate (Culver Commission) focused on the administrative structure of the Senate. The Study Group on Senate Practices and Procedures (Pearson-Ribicoff Study Group) issued a wide-ranging set of recommendations concerning Senate Rules and procedures. The Temporary Select Committee to Study the Senate Committee System (Quayle Committee) addressed committee assignments. The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration undertook a study to improve Senate operations, and subsequently reported a number of proposals on jurisdictional organization. The Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress (JCOC) recommended altering aspects of congressional organization and operations.

Changes in party conference rules and practices have also influenced the contemporary Senate.

This report discusses efforts to modify Senate operations and structure since the 1940s, including the origin and makeup of the various reform entities, their recommendations, and the consequences of those recommendations for the Senate. This report will be updated as events warrant.

For related information on congressional reorganization efforts, see CRS Report RL31825, Reorganization of the House of Representatives: Modern Reform Efforts, by Judy Schneider, Christopher M. Davis, and Betsy Palmer.