Jerry Hartz and colleagues at The Hill:
On the committee front, we note that, contrary to popular belief, the House is holding a historically low number of hearings compared to the previous 40 years. That has led to five times fewer witnesses being called in today’s Congress than at the witness peak in the late 1970s. One important change recommended by the Select Committee would be to de-conflict committee schedules to allow for member participation in considered and deliberative lawmaking. Committee scheduling is currently left to individual chairs but could be further centralized. This would also increase committee flexibility to host bipartisan events that foster collaboration and further develop working relationships, another Select Committee recommendation.