Wikipedia:
List of defunct United States Congressional committees
The United States Congress Congress has operated with more than 1500 standing, special, select, or joint committees over the years.[1][2][3]
Many committees of these committees are now defunct. In some cases, the their responsibilities were merged with other committees. For others, the committee remained in existence, but its name was changed. However, the bulk of committees were eliminated because they served a single purpose or that subject matter no longer merited its own committee.
These lists contain both select committees and standing committees. When known, the committee's type, years, reason for elimination, and any successor committees are noted. Some committees, such as the myriad "Committee(s) to Investigate," are included in the list alphabetically by the primary subject matter being studied or investigated.
Defunct House Committees
- Accounts (1803–1947; jurisdiction merged into House Administration)
- Alcoholic Liquor Traffic (1893–1927)
- Assassinations (Select, 1976-1979)
- Banking and Currency (renamed Financial Services)
- Census (1901–1946; jurisdiction merged into Post Office and Civil Service)
- Civil Service (1924–1946; jurisdiction merged into into Post Office and Civil Service)
- Claims (1794–1946; jurisdiction merged into Judiciary)
- Coinage, Weights and Measures
- Commerce and Manufactures (1795-1819; renamed Commerce)
- Commerce, (1819-1981; renamed Interstate and Foreign Commerce)
- Disposition of Executive Papers (1889–1947; jurisdiction merged into House Administration)
- District of Columbia (1808-1999; jurisdiction merged into Government Reform)
- Economic and Educational Opportunities (1995-1997; renamed Committee on Education and the Workforce)
- Education (1883-1947; merged into Education and Labor)
- Education and Labor (1867-1883; split into
Education and Labor)
- restored (1947-1995; renamed Economic and Educational Opportunities)
- renamed Education and the Workforce (1997-2007)
- restored (2007)
- Elections (1789-1947; jurisdiction merged into House Administration)
- Election of the President, Vice President and Representatives in Congress (1893–1947; jurisdiction merged into House Administration)
- Engraving (1844–1860;jurisdiction merged into Printing)
- Enrolled Bills (1876–1947; jurisdiction merged into House Administration)
- Expenditures in the Executive
Departments (1927–1952; created by the merger of several predecessor expenditure committees; jurisdiction merged into
Government Operations)
- Expenditures in the Agriculture Department (1889–1927; jurisdiction merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Expenditures in the Commerce and Labor Departments (1905–1913; split between Expenditures in the Commerce Department and Expenditures in the Labor Department)
- Expenditures in the Commerce Department (1913–1927; merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Expenditures in the Interior Department (1860–1927; merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Expenditures in the Justice Department (1874–1927; merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Expenditures in the Labor Department (1913–1927; merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Expenditures in the Navy Department (1816–1927; merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Expenditures in the Post Office Department (1816–1927; merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Expenditures in the State Department (1816–1927; merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Expenditures in the Treasury Department (1816–1927; merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Expenditures in the War Department (1816–1927; merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Expenditures on Public Buildings (1816–1927; merged into Expenditures in the Executive Departments)
- Flood Control
- Freedmen's Affairs (1866–1875; implementation of 14th and 15th Amendments)
- Government Operations (1952-1999; moved into Government Reform)
- Government Reform (1999-2007; renamed Oversight and Government Reform)
- Hurricane Katrina (Select) (2005-2006; select committee expired)
- Immigration and Naturalization (1893–1946; moved into Judiciary)
- Indian Affairs (1821–1946; moved into Public Lands)
- Industrial Arts and Expositions
- Insular Affairs (1899–1946; Cuban affairs moved to Foreign Affairs in 1906; moved to Public Lands)
- Interior and Insular Affairs (1951–1993; moved to Resources)
- Internal Security (1969–1975; functions transferred to the Judiciary)
- International Relations (1975-1979 - renamed Foreign Affairs; Restored 1995-2007 - reverted back to Foreign Affairs)
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce (-1981; renamed Energy and Commerce)
- Invalid Pensions (1831–1946; terminated)
- Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran (Select) (January 1987 - November 1987; Iran-Contra Committee)
- Irrigation and Reclamation (1924–1946; moved to Public Lands)
- Irrigation of Arid Lands (1893–1924; renamed Irrigation and Reclamation)
- Labor (1883-1947; merged into Education and Labor)
- Levees and Improvements of the Mississippi River
- Library (some functions moved into House Administration; now Joint Committee on the Library)
- Manufactures (1819-1911)
- Memorials (1929–1947; moved into House Administration)
- Merchant Marine and Fisheries (1887–1932, 1935–1994)
- Merchant Marine, Radio and Fisheries (1932–1935; temporary renaming of Merchant Marine and Fisheries)
- Mileage (1837–1927; duties returned to Accounts
- Military Affairs (1822–1946; moved into Armed Services)
- Military Pensions (1825–1831; renamed Invalid Pensions)
- Militia (1835–1911; moved to Military Affairs)
- Mines and Mining (1865–1946; moved to Public Lands)
- Mississippi Levees
- Natural Resources (1993-1995; renamed
Resources
- (Restored in 2007)
- Naval Affairs (1822–1946; moved into Armed Services)
- Pacific Railroads (1865–1911; terminated)
- Patents (1837–1946; moved into Judiciary)
- Pensions and Revolutionary War Claims (1813–1825; renamed Revolutionary Pensions)
- Pensions (1880–1946; terminated)
- Post Office and Civil Service (1946–1999; moved into Government Reform)
- Post Office and Post Roads (1808–1946; moved into Post Office and Civil Service)
- Printing (created in 1846; moved into House Administration)
- Private Land Claims
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Expenditures (1814–1880)
- Public Lands (1805–1951; renamed Interior and Insular Affairs)
- Public Works
- Railways and Canals
- Reconstruction (Select)
- Records of Committees Relating to Banking and Currency
- Reform in the Civil Service (1893–1924; renamed Civil Service)
- Resources (1995-2007; renamed Natural Resources)
- Revisal and Unfinished Business (1795–1868; unfinished business duties obsolete; remainder renamed Revision of Laws)
- Revision of Laws (1868–1946; moved into Judiciary)
- Revolutionary Claims (1825–1873; moved to War Claims)
- Revolutionary Pensions (-1825; split between Military Pensions and Revolutionary Claims)
- Rivers and Harbors
- Roads
- Roads and Canals
- Science (1995-2007; renamed Science and Technology)
- Science and Astronautics (1959-1974; renamed Science and Technology)
- Science and Technology (1974-1987; renamed
Committee on Science, Space and
Technology)
- (Restored in 2007)
- Science, Space and Technology (1987-1995; renamed Committee on Science)
- Territories (1825–1946; moved to Public Lands)
- Un-American Activities, also called HUAC or HCUA (1945–1969; became Internal Security)
- Uniform System of Coinage, Weights and Measures
- Ventilation and Acoustics (1893–1911)
- War Claims (1873–1946; moved into Judiciary)
- Woman Suffrage (1917–1927; implementation of the 19th Amendment)
- World War Veterans' Legislation
Defunct Senate Committees
| Committee | Esbablished | Terminated | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Committee of the Whole | 1789 | 1986 | A parlimentary device used by the Senate to consider issues as a body. Used extensively prior to the creation of standing committees in 1816.[1] |
| Accounts of James Monroe (Select) | February 8, 1831 | February 11, 1831 | |
| Additional Accommodations for the Library of Congress (Select) | March 3, 1881 | April 18, 1921 | |
| Aeronautical and Space Sciences | July 24, 1958 | February 11, 1977 | Replaced by Commerce, Science and Transportation |
| Agriculture | December 9, 1825 | March 3, 1857 | Restored in 1863 |
| March 6, 1863 | February 5, 1884 | Renamed Agriculture and Forestry | |
| Agriculture and Forestry | February 5, 1884 | February 11, 1977 | Renamed Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry |
| Agricultural Labor Shortages in the West (Special) | October 24, 1942 | December 16, 1942 | |
| Air Mail and Ocean Mail Contracts (Special) | February 24, 1933 | June 30, 1936 | |
| Alabama Land Purchase (Select) | February 4, 1828 | May 26, 1828 | Official title: Memorial of the State of Alabama to Purchase Certain Public Lands from Within the State |
| Alaska Railroad (Special Select) | July 1, 1930 | December 4, 1933 | |
| Alien Property Custodian's Office (Select) | July 3, 1926 | March 3, 1927 | |
| Alter and Improve Senate Chamber (Select) | May 19, 1860 | August 6, 1861 | |
| Amending the Constitution on the Election of the President and Vice President (Select) | March 15, 1830 | March 3, 1831 | |
| Amendments to the Constitution (Select) | November 23, 1820 | March 3, 1825 | Official title: Proposed Amendments to the Constitution |
| June 2, 1834 | June 30, 1834 | Official title: Resolution to Amend the Constitution | |
| February 27, 1861 | February 28, 1861 | Official title: Certain Amendments Proposed to the Constitution by the Convention held in Washington City | |
| American Colonization Society | February 29, 1820 | May 15, 1820 | |
| Aquatic Life | January 3, 1938 | January 3, 1940 | Official title: Conservation and Utilization of Aquatic Life[2] |
| Armed Strikebreakers (Select) | August 2, 1892 | February 10, 1893 | Official title: Investigate Armed Bodies of Men for Private Purposes; Pinkerton Detective Force |
| Assault on Charles Sumner | May 23, 1856 | May 28, 1856 | |
| Atomic Energy (Select) | October 22, 1945 | August 1, 1946 | Replaced by the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy |
| Atmospheric Telegraph Between Washington and Baltimore (Select) | February 23, 1854 | August 7, 1854 | Proposal for a Pneumatic tube delivery system |
| Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty (Select) | March 3, 1924 | March 4, 1925 | |
| Attorney General's Office | December 10, 1816 | March 3, 1817 | Official title: Establishing an Additional Executive Office of the Attorney General |
| Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate | November 4, 1807 | January 2, 1947 | Replaced by Rules and Administration. No mention of committee in 1809.[2] |
| Bank Note Circulation (Select) | February 27, 1840 | July 21, 1840 | Official title: Committee on the expediency of an amendment to the Constitution in Relation to the Circulation of Bank Notes and other Paper Currency |
| Banking and Currency | May 22, 1913 | October 26, 1970 | Renamed Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs |
| Bankruptcy (Select) | December 8, 1826 | March 3, 1827 | Official title: Establishing a Uniform System of Bankruptcy |
| June 8, 1840 | July 21, 1840 | Official title: Bills to Establish a Uniform System of Bankruptcy throughout the United States | |
| Bankruptcy and Receivership (Special) | June 13, 1933 | May 29, 1936 | Official title: Special Committee to Investigate Receivership and Bankruptcy Proceedings in the Courts of the United States |
| Banks Expedition (Select) | December 22, 1862 | February 9, 1863 | Official title: Inquire and Report in Regard to the Chartering of Transport Vessels for the Banks Expedition |
| Banks in Which Deposits Have Been Made (Select) | December 24, 1824 | March 3, 1825 | Official title: Liquidation of the Balances Due from Banks in Which Deposits Have Been Made |
| Banks of the District of Columbia (Select) | December 17, 1857 | June 14, 1858 | |
| Bribery Attempts Investigation (Special) | May 17, 1894 | August 2, 1894 | |
| Budget (Special) | July 14, |
April 13, 1920 | See Committee on the Budget |
| Cabinet Officers on the Floor of the Senate (Select) | December 7, 1880 | August 8, 1882 | |
| California's Admission to the Union | January 24, 1849 | March 3, 1850 | Stubbs Lists the committee through September 30, 1850, but there is no record of it existing during the 31st Congress.[1] See the Committee of Thirteen for the Settlement of the Slavery Question |
| Campaign Expenditures (Special) | June 17, 1924 | February 12, 1925 | |
| Campaign Expenditures (Select) | December 5, 1932 | December 21, 1933 | Investiate Campaign Expenditures of Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates and Candidates for the United States Senate.[2] |
| Campaign Expenditures Investigation (Special) | January 3, 1935 | January 3, 1941 | [2] |
| Campaign Expenditures, 1944 | March 30, 1944 | March 15, 1945 | Official title: Presidential, Vice-Presidential, and Senate Campaign Expenditures in 1944 |
| Campaign Expenditures, 1946 | January 14, 1946 | [2] | |
| Canadian Relations | July 31, 1888 | January 13, 1892 | Select; Became a standing committee |
| January 13, 1892 | April 18, 1921 | Merged with Foreign Relations | |
| Catlin's Collection of Indian Scenes, Purchase of | February 3, 1852 | June 23, 1852 | |
| Censure Charges against Senator McCarthy (Select) | August 2,1954 | December 2, 1954 | Terminated on passage of a motion to censure Senator Joe McCarthy |
| Census | December 12, 1887 | April 18, 1921 | Preceded by various select committees |
| Seventh Census (Select) | December 14, 1848 | June 28, 1852 | |
| Ninth Census (Select) | January 29, 1869 | March 3, 1869 | |
| Tenth Census (Select) | April 4 1878 | March 3, 1887 | Replaced by the Committee on the Census |
| Centennial of the Constitution and the Discovery of America (Select) | July 31, 1889 | March 3, 1889 | |
| Centralization of Heavy Industry in the United States (Special) | December 21, 1943 | December 19, 1944 | |
| Charges Against Benjamin Stark | March 18, 1862 | April 22, 1862 | |
| Charges Against Burton K. Wheeler (Select) | April 9, 1924 | May 19, 1924 | Investigation into Senator Burton Wheeler for acting as an attorney in cases to which the U.S. was a party.[2] |
| Charges Against Senator Powell Clayton (Select) | January 9, 1872 | February 26, 1873 | |
| Senator Pomeroy (Select) | February 10, 1873 | March 3, 1873 | Charges of election bribes against Senator Samuel C. Pomeroy |
| Charges of Corruption Contained in the Daily Times (Select) | March 12, 1846 | March 16, 1846 | Charges of corruption against the Senate related to the U.S.-British Oregon boundary dispute that were printed by the Daily Times in Washington, D.C. on 5th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 1846.[4][5] |
| Cherokee Nation's Complaints of Invasion of their Territory (Select) | August 5, 1892 | March 3, 1893 | |
| Circulation of Bank Notes in the District of Columbia (Select) | January 9, 1860 | January 17, 1860 | Official title: Bill to Prohibit the Issue and Circulation of Bank Notes in the District of Columbia |
| Civil Service | April 18, 1921 | January 2, 1947 | Replaced by Post Office and Civil Service |
| Civil Service and Retrenchment | December 4, 1873 | April 18, 1921 | Renamed Civil Service |
| Civil Service Commission Examining Division (Select) | January 19, 1922 | July 25, 1922 | Official title: Investigate the Examining Division of the Civil Service Commission |
| Civil Service Laws (Special) | April 1, 1938 | January 25, 1945 | Official title: Special Committee to Investigate Administration and Operation of Civil Service Laws and the Classification Act of 1923 |
| Civil Service Operations (Select) | March 13, 1888 | March 3, 1889 | |
| Civil Service System (Special) | April 1, 1938 | January 3, 1941 | |
| Claims | December 10, 1816 | January 2, 1947 | Jurisdiction transferred to Judiciary and United States Court of Federal Claims |
| Clerical Assistance to Senators (Select) | January 26, 1917 | March 3, 1917 | |
| Coast and Insular Survey | December 15, 1899 | April 18, 1921 | |
| Coast Defenses | March 13, 1855 | April 18, 1921 | |
| Coins (Select) | December 10, 1929 | December 15, 1830 | |
| Coins, Weights and Measures (Select) | May 18, 1866 | July 16, 1866 | |
| Commerce | December 12, 1825 | January 2, 1947 | Transferred to Interstate and Foreign Commerce; Restored in 1961 |
| April 13, 1961 | February 11, 1977 | Replaced by Commerce, Science and Transportation | |
| Commerce and Manufactures | December 10, 1816 | December 12, 1825 | Split into Commerce and Manufactures |
| Compensation (Select) | June 26, 1866 | July 2, 1866 | |
| Compensation of Congress (Select) | December 11, 1816 | March 3, 1817 | Official title: Resolution to Amend the Constitution on Compensation of Congress |
| United States Senate Select Committee on Compensation of Members of Congress (Select) | December 9, 1816 | February 6, 1817 | Official title: Repealing or Modifying a Law on Compensation of Members of Congress |
| Compensation of Senate Employees (Select) | March 30, 1885 | December 7, 1885 | |
| January 6, 1954 | Date as listed in the Congressional Directory, 83rd Congress, 2nd Session.[2] | ||
| Comptroller William Medill (Select) | June 1, 1860 | June 12, 1860 | Official title: Select Committee in Relation to the First Comptroller, William Medill |
| Conservation of National Resources | March 22, 1909 | April 18, 1921 | |
| Confiscation of Rebel Property (Select) | May 6, 1862 | May 14, 1862 | Official title: Committee on S. 151 to Confiscate Property and Free the Slaves of Rebels.[6] Considered various bills related to confiscation of property.[7] |
| Constitution of the State of Alabama | December 6, 1819 | May 15, 1820 | |
| Constitution of the State of Arkansas | March 14, 1835 | July 4, 1836 | |
| Contribution Investigation (Select) | February 7, 1956 | March 29, 1956 | Investigation into use of political contributions to influence the vote of a senator on a particular bill.[2] |
| Corporations Organized in the District of Columbia | July 27, 1892 | March 19, 1896 | Select; Became a standing committee |
| March 19, 1896 | April 18, 1921 | ||
| Counting the Electoral Vote (Select) | December 18, 1876 | March 3, 1877 | United States presidential election of 1876 |
| Court Reorganization and Judicial Procedure (Special) | August 6, 1937 | August 5, 1939 | |
| Credentials of the Honorable John M. Niles (Select) | April 30, 1844 | May 16, 1844 | |
| Crop Insurance (Select) | September 9, 1922 | March 3, 1923 | |
| Cuban Relations | December 15, 1899 | April 18, 1921 | Merged with Foreign Relations |
| Danger of Steam Vessels (Select) | December 6, 1837 | July 9, 1838 | |
| Debt Imprisonment Abolition (Select) | February 2, 1821 | February 24, 1821 | Official title: Abolishing Imprisonment for Debt |
| Debts of the States | January 8, 1840 | July 21, 1840 | Official title: Assumption by the General Government of the Debts of the States |
| Depreciation of Foreign Currencies (Select) | April 12, 1932 | March 3, 1933 | Official title: Investigation of Depreciation of Foreign Currencies |
| Disorder in the Senate of April 17, 1850 | April 17, 1850 | September 30, 1850 | Fight between Senator Foote and Senator Benton Congressional[8] |
| Disarmament (Select) | |||
| Disposition of Useless Papers in the Executive Departments | March 22, 1909 | April 18, 1921 | Byrd first lists it in December 1903.[2] Preceded by the Examination and Disposition of Documents (Select) |
| Distilled Spirit Tax Bill (Select) | May 4, 1882 | August 8, 1882 | |
| Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select) | December 14 , 1826 | March 3, 1813 | |
| District of Columbia | December 18, 1816 | February 11, 1977 | Functions transferred to Governmental Affairs |
| District of Columbia Public School System (Select) | February 24, 1920 | May 26, 1920 | Official title: Investigate the Public School System of the District of Columbia |
| District of Columbia Excise Board (Select) | January 26, 1915 | March 4, 1915 | |
| Dueling (Select) | February 25, 1831 | March 3, 1831 | |
| Duties on Imports (Select) | January 23, 1861 | February 1, 1861 | Official title: Bill (H.R. 338) to Provide for the Payment of Outstanding Treasury Notes, to Authorize and Loan, and t o Regulate and Fix the Duties on Imports |
| Education | January 28, 1869 | February 14, 1870 | Renamed Education and Labor |
| Education and Labor | February 14, 1870 | January 2, 1947 | Functions transferred to Labor and Public Welfare |
| Education and Labor Subcommittee Investigating Violations of Free Speech and the Rights of Labor | 1936 | 1941 | Also known as the LaFollette Civil Liberties Committee or LaFollette Committee |
| Education and Labor Subcommittee on Wartime Health and Education | 1943 | 1946 | [4] |
| Efficiency of the Army Efficiency (Select) | July 6, 1861 | August 6, 1861 | Review of a bill numbered S. 4 to promote efficiency of the Army |
| Elections of 1878 (Select) | December 17, 1878 | March 3, 1881 | Official title: Inquire into Alleged Frauds and Violence in the Elections of 1878 |
| Election of William Lorimer | June 7, 1911 | May 20, 1912 | |
| March 6, 1849 | March 15, 1849 | Official title: Eligibility of the Honorable James Shields to a Seat in the Senate | |
| Emigrant Route and Telegraphic Line to California (Select) | January 20, 1853 | March 3, 1853 | Official title: Protection of the Emigrant Route and a Telegraphic Line from Missouri to California and Oregon |
| Emigration of Negroes from the South to North | December 19, 1879 | June 1, 1880 | Official title: Investigate the Causes Which Have Led to the Emigration of Negroes from the Southern to the Northern States |
| Employment of a Fiscal Agent | June 3], 1941 | July 21, 1841 | |
| Engrossed Bills |