Committees and Caucuses

Committees

House Natural Resources Committee Logo

Congresswoman Maxine Dexter serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources, with jurisdiction over forests, public lands, national parks, oceans, energy and mineral resources, and the federal relationship with Native American Tribes throughout the United States. 

Elected as Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Congresswoman Dexter is responsible for overseeing federal agencies within the Natural Resources jurisdiction. In this capacity, she is fighting to protect Oregon’s natural resources from Trump’s polluter-first agenda.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Logo

Congresswoman Maxine Dexter also serves on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, including the Subcommittees on Health and Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. In these roles, she advocates for policies that ensure veterans receive the health care and benefits they have earned and deserve. 

Members of Congress are appointed to House committees by House leadership. While they may request to be placed on a certain committee, it is not a guarantee that they will get a spot. Members may be placed on a committee because it aligns with their professional expertise or because it serves the interests of their district. The number of members in a House committee is decided by House leadership, and the ratio of majority to minority party members within a committee typically reflects the same ratio of majority to minority members in the House of Representatives. 

The House’s standing committees have different legislative jurisdictions. Each considers bills and issues and recommends measures for consideration by the House. Committees also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and in some cases, in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions (Congress.gov). 

Caucuses

Unlike committees, members of Congress are not appointed to caucuses and instead join them voluntarily. There is no limit to the number of members in a caucus, nor a limit to the number of caucuses a member can join. Members join caucuses to pursue shared legislative objectives on issues they care about and that are pertinent to their constituents. Below is a list of the caucuses that Congresswoman Dexter is a part of: