Committee Assignments
In the 115th Congress, Senator Carper serves as the top ranked Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, leading Committee Democrats in efforts to protect public health and the environment, conduct oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency and push for smart investments in our nation's infrastructure. He also serves as a senior member on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and is the top Democrat on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, a bipartisan committee that has broad jurisdiction to conduct oversight of the federal government and conduct independent investigations on issues that impact every American. Senator Carper also serves on the Finance Committee which is charged with managing our nation's tax code and considering international trade agreements.
The purpose of a Senate committee is to review proposed legislation before sending it to the full Senate for final debate and approval. The senator in charge of the committee is called the chairman, and is a member of the majority party. The minority party has a similar leader, called the ranking member. When a committee is given a bill to prepare, they coordinate with different government agencies for input on the issue. For example, on a bill that is being reviewed by the Environment and Public Works Committee, committee members may ask for input from the Environmental Protection Agency on how to improve the bill. Then the committee may invite experts to give their testimony at a hearing. After the various agencies and experts have weighed in, the committee reviews the bill, makes changes and submits the bill to the full Senate for debate and a vote.
To learn more about Senator Carper's committee assignments, please visit the following pages:
Committee on Environment and Public Works, Ranking Member
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
As a senior member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Senator Carper uses his prior experience as Chairman, and then Ranking Member of the committee to advance his priorities for Delaware and . Some of Senator Carper’s top priorities are postal reform, cyber security, curbing waste in government spending, and strengthening America’s borders. In addition to this, Senator Carper and the committee are responsible for reviewing legislation that affects the Department of Homeland Security and, more broadly, the efficiency and effectiveness of government functions. To learn more about Senator Carper’s role as ranking member and his past role as chairman, visit the committee’s website here.
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Ranking Member
