What is the job of Committee Chairmen in American Government?

The highest member of the majority party (Democrats or Republicans) on the committee always holds the Chairman position. The highest ranking committee member of the minority party, is the Ranking Member. The Chair and Ranking member positions can change after elections, if one party gains the majority in either the House or Senate.

When a bill needs to be written in the committee, the Chairman and Ranking members are the ones that ultimately determine what will be in the bills, amendments allowed, when voting on the final bill (among committee members) takes place, usually along party lines.

The main job of the Chairman, is meeting with party leaders, the President, party majority leaders and whips, to get and give input on what agendas have priorities, what the party leaders want, or don't want in the bills, and schedule a committee calender accordingly . They oversee discussions, debates within the committees, maintain order, and persuade other party members on the committee to vote party line.They also hold hearings in the committees, invite outside sources to testify at the hearings, meet with the Congressional Budget Office to determine appropriations, and make press statements to the media.

Once a bill passes it is presented to the Clerk, where it is scheduled to go to the floor for general debate and vote. However, often another committee is working on the same bill. The Chairmen of the committees will try to negotiate a single bill for both committees. They then poll members of the total legislation to determine the bills chance of passage. In the Senate, Chairmen also try to secure a cloture vote prior to floor vote, to prevent a filibuster

The Chairman organizes the committee, sets their agenda, counts votes to see if bills will pass or not and does things like that. Getting such an assignment is a plush position; you essentially control what that committee does.