Lloyd Smucker

The Committee on Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee in the House of Representatives. The Committee derives a large share of its jurisdiction from Article I, Section VII of the U.S. Constitution, which declares, “All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives.” The committee has jurisdiction over revenue and related issues such as tariffs, reciprocal trade agreements, and the bonded debt of the United States. It also oversees revenue-related aspects of the Social Security system, Medicare, and social services programs.

The House Committee on the Budget is responsible for drafting a concurrent resolution on the budget for congressional action on spending, revenue, and debt-limit legislation. The Budget Resolution must be jointly agreed to by both the House and the Senate, but does not need to be signed by the President. The Committee is also responsible for enforcing the Budget Resolution by informing representatives of violations to the budget, and by working with other committees, such as the Committee on Appropriations, to prevent potential violations.