The Speaker decides which bills will be assigned to which committees. This is one way he or she can use party leadership to influence members of their party in Congress. If a wayward member is sponsoring a bill, the Speaker may assign that bill to a committee where the bill is likely to get an unfavorable reception and be killed. Conversely, the Speaker can assign the bill to a safe committee where the bill will receive a favorable reception in exchange for the sponsor’s party loyalty.
