How common is it for both senators to sit on the same committee?

[question everything]

Both senators from the same state, that is.

Both Minnesota senators are on the judiciary which is fine. Both will vote YES, of course, on Sotomayr. But I am curious about that with pros and cons.

[MadBadger]

I think Kohl and Feingold of Wisconsin sit on it as well.

[elocs]

6. Yes, so between MN & WI we have 4 members on the Judiciary Committee. n/t

[zipplewrath]

1. Constitutionally

Constitutionally, the committees don't exist. The full Senate writes all the rules and they can organize them any way they want. As for pro's and con's, it would seem that a state denies themselves the ability to have influence over a wider range of issues by concentrating their representation in such a way. Alternately, doubling down so to speak on Ways and Means and similar committees probably has some merit.

[question everything]

2. Thank you. Interesting

I was thinking the same about spreading the resources.

As for committees do not exist - since the senate has to approve nominations, how would it go without the prior recommendations or vetting by a committee? Each nomination would just be debated and voted by the whole senate?

[zipplewrath]

3. Yup

If you look at the early senate, when there were only 26 senators, many of these things were argued directly on the floor.

[BlooInBloo]

4. People can be on more than one committee, I think. And Ways And Means is the House.

[zipplewrath]

5. Yes, but only chairman of one

I knew Ways and Means was over there but couldn't remember the correlating one in the Senate, Finance? And yes one can and is on more than one committee, as well as subcommittees I believe (or is that just a House thang?). But I believe that ones senority status on a committee is affected by ones position on other committees.

[Name removed]

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