United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
House Oversight Committee
Standing committee
Active United States House of Representatives 118th Congress

History
Formed	1927
Leadership
Chair	James Comer (R) Since January 10, 2023
Ranking member	Jamie Raskin (D) Since January 10, 2023
Structure
Seats	47
Political parties	Majority (26) Republican (26) Minority (21) Democratic (21)
Subcommittees
National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs Health Care and Financial Services Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (118th Congress)
Rules
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The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is a very important group in the United States House of Representatives. It's their main job to investigate how the government works.

This committee is one of the most powerful groups in the House. It has a wide range of responsibilities. The person in charge, called the Chair, can even ask for official documents or information (called a subpoena) without needing a vote from the whole committee. However, usually, they try to work together with other members.

Currently, James Comer is the Chair of the committee. Jamie Raskin is the Ranking Member, who is the top member from the other political party.

What Does the Oversight Committee Do?
- How the Committee Started
- Using Subpoenas to Get Information
What Areas Does the Committee Oversee?
Who Are the Members of the Committee?
- Members of the 118th Congress
Subcommittees: Smaller Working Groups
Images for kids
See also

What Does the Oversight Committee Do?

The Committee on Oversight and Accountability checks on how the U.S. government spends money and runs its programs. They make sure everything is working well and efficiently. This committee looks into many different parts of the government.

How the Committee Started

This committee started in 1927. Back then, it was called the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments. Its job was to combine the work of 11 smaller committees. These smaller groups used to watch over the spending of different government departments.

In 1952, the committee's name changed to the Committee on Government Operations. This new name showed that its job was much bigger. It now looked at how all government activities were run. The goal was to make sure they were "economical and efficient."

Over the years, the committee's name changed a few more times. It became the Committee on Government Reform, then Oversight and Government Reform. Today, it's known as the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. People often just call it the "Oversight Committee" for short.

Using Subpoenas to Get Information

A subpoena is an official order. It requires someone to provide documents or appear to give information. The Oversight Committee uses subpoenas to get facts for their investigations.

Sometimes, the committee's leader has used many subpoenas. For example, from 1997 to 2002, one chairman issued over 1,000 subpoenas. Other times, chairmen have used them much less often. This shows how the committee's approach can change depending on who is in charge.

What Areas Does the Committee Oversee?

The committee has specific areas it is responsible for. These are called its "jurisdiction." Here are some of the main things they oversee:

Government Workers: They look at rules for federal employees, including their pay and retirement.
Washington, D.C.: They oversee the local government of Washington, D.C., but not its budget.
Government Paperwork: They work to reduce unnecessary paperwork from the government.
How Government is Run: They check the overall efficiency of government activities, including how the government buys things.
National Archives: They oversee the National Archives, which keeps important government records.
Population Data: They look at how population information is collected, including the Census.
Mail Service: They oversee the Postal Service.
Public Information: They work on rules about government information and records.
Government Structure: They look at how different parts of the government are organized.

Who Are the Members of the Committee?

The committee has members from both major political parties. They work together (and sometimes disagree) to carry out the committee's important tasks.

Members of the 118th Congress

Majority (Republican)	Minority (Democratic)
James Comer, Kentucky, Chair Jim Jordan, Ohio Mike Turner, Ohio Paul Gosar, Arizona Virginia Foxx, North Carolina Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin Michael Cloud, Texas Gary Palmer, Alabama Clay Higgins, Louisiana Pete Sessions, Texas Andy Biggs, Arizona Nancy Mace, South Carolina Jake LaTurner, Kansas Pat Fallon, Texas Byron Donalds, Florida Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota Scott Perry, Pennsylvania William Timmons, South Carolina Tim Burchett, Tennessee Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Lisa McClain, Michigan Lauren Boebert, Colorado Russell Fry, South Carolina Anna Paulina Luna, Florida Nick Langworthy, New York Eric Burlison, Missouri Michael Waltz, Florida	Jamie Raskin, Maryland, Ranking Member Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of Columbia Stephen Lynch, Massachusetts Gerry Connolly, Virginia Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois Ro Khanna, California Kweisi Mfume, Maryland Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York, Vice Ranking Member Katie Porter, California Cori Bush, Missouri Jimmy Gomez, California Shontel Brown, Ohio Melanie Stansbury, New Mexico Robert Garcia, California Maxwell Frost, Florida Summer Lee, Pennsylvania Greg Casar, Texas Jasmine Crockett, Texas Dan Goldman, New York Jared Moskowitz, Florida Rashida Tlaib, Michigan Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts

Subcommittees: Smaller Working Groups

The main committee is divided into smaller groups called subcommittees. Each subcommittee focuses on a specific area. This helps the committee manage its many responsibilities.

Subcommittee	Chair	Ranking Member
Cyber Security, Information Technology and Government Innovation	Nancy Mace (R-SC)	Gerry Connolly (D-VA)
Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs	Pat Fallon (R-TX)	Cori Bush (D-MO)
Government Operations and the Federal Workforce	Pete Sessions (R-TX)	Kweisi Mfume (D-MD)
Health Care and Financial Services	Lisa McClain (R-MI)	Katie Porter (D-CA)
National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs	Glenn Grothman (R-WI)	Robert Garcia (D-CA)
Coronavirus Pandemic (Select)	Brad Wenstrup (R-OH)	Raul Ruiz (D-CA)