U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging – Ranking Member
GIVING HOOSIER SENIORS A VOICE IN WASHINGTON
The duty of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging is to conduct a continuing study of any and all matters pertaining to problems and opportunities of older people, including, but not limited to, problems and opportunities of maintaining health, of assuring adequate income, of finding employment, of engaging in productive and rewarding activity, of securing proper housing, and when necessary, of obtaining care or assistance. No proposed legislation shall be referred to such committee, and such committee shall not have power to report by bill, or otherwise have legislative jurisdiction.
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
STANDING UP FOR HOOSIER FARMERS
The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry has jurisdiction over the following topics:
● Agricultural economics and research.
● Agricultural extension services and experiment stations.
● Agricultural production, marketing, and stabilization of prices.
● Agriculture and agricultural commodities.
● Animal industry and diseases.
● Crop insurance and soil conservation.
● Farm credit and farm security.
● Food from fresh waters.
● Food stamp programs.
● Forestry, and forest reserves and wilderness areas other than those created from the public domain.
● Home economics.
● Human nutrition.
● Inspection of livestock, meat, and agricultural products.
● Pests and pesticides.
● Plant industry, soils, and agricultural engineering.
● Rural development, rural electrification, and watersheds.
● School nutrition programs.
U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget
TAKING ON OUT-OF-CONTROL DEBT & SPENDING IN WASHINGTON
The Budget Committee’s principal responsibility is to develop a concurrent resolution on the budget to serve as the framework for congressional action on spending, revenue, and debt-limit legislation. Each chamber introduces its own resolution, which, when jointly agreed to by the House and the Senate, becomes the so called “budget resolution.” The adoption of the resolution does not result in a new law of the United States, as the president does not sign the resolution.
The Senate Budget Committee is also responsible for the enforcement of this concurrent resolution and associated budget laws. Budget enforcement is accomplished by informing senators when budget “points of order” apply because of violations to the budget, and by working with other committees during the crafting of legislation to address potential violations. The committee also tracks the appropriations process throughout the year to make sure that spending levels in appropriations bills conform to the levels set forth in the budget resolution.
Through the budget resolution, the Committee can also initiate and enforce the budget reconciliation process, a piece of legislation that is written to bring about specific identified fiscal goals. A reconciliation bill, if passed and signed by the president, carries with it the full force of law. The Committee also holds hearings on the economy, oversight hearings to monitor the performance of government agencies, and hearings to consider nominations for the president’s Office of Management and Budget.
U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
FIXING OUR BROKEN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM & STRENGTHENING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
The Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee’s oversight related to the issue of health encompasses most of the agencies, institutes, and programs of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Administration on Aging, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The Committee also oversees the issues of education and pensions, as well as most federal labor and employment laws, including those that regulate wages and hours of employment, enforce mining and workplace health and safety, combat employment-based discrimination, and regulate union / management relations.
