WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.600 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. It's really great 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:05.360 to have you with us today. Yeah, thanks for joining 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:08.720 us. You know, you probably already know the basics 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:10.939 of how the Senate works. Yeah. I mean, you follow 00:00:10.939 --> 00:00:13.300 the news, you know they debate bills, you know 00:00:13.300 --> 00:00:15.380 they vote on laws. Right, the highly visible 00:00:15.380 --> 00:00:19.120 stuff. Exactly. But today, we are going to look 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:23.980 past the floor speeches and past the press conferences. 00:00:24.260 --> 00:00:26.899 We are heading straight into the actual literal 00:00:26.899 --> 00:00:29.769 engine room. where the real power gets traded 00:00:29.769 --> 00:00:32.270 and the policies are actually built. The nuts 00:00:32.270 --> 00:00:35.429 and bolts of the whole operation. Yes. The source 00:00:35.429 --> 00:00:37.630 material we're unpacking today is a comprehensive 00:00:37.630 --> 00:00:40.689 Wikipedia article detailing the list of United 00:00:40.689 --> 00:00:43.530 States Senate committees. And I know a list of 00:00:43.530 --> 00:00:46.390 committees might sound like a, well, like a dry 00:00:46.390 --> 00:00:48.270 textbook topic at first glance. Oh, totally. 00:00:48.509 --> 00:00:50.329 It sounds like an administrative roster. But 00:00:50.329 --> 00:00:53.259 it's not. It is actually the secret blueprint 00:00:53.259 --> 00:00:56.460 to how power, policy and money flow in America. 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:58.640 Yeah. It's the wiring behind the walls of the 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:00.299 Capitol. And to look at that wiring clearly, 00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:02.700 we really need to set a quick ground rule for 00:01:02.700 --> 00:01:04.900 how we are approaching this for you today. Right. 00:01:04.980 --> 00:01:08.420 The disclaimer. Yeah. Our source material provides 00:01:08.420 --> 00:01:11.799 a snapshot of the 119th Congress, which started 00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:15.700 in January of 2025. Because it is a print snapshot, 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.420 the data lists specific political parties, noting 00:01:19.420 --> 00:01:21.400 that Republicans currently hold the committee 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:24.439 chairmanships and Democrats hold the ranking 00:01:24.439 --> 00:01:27.359 member positions. Now, a quick heads up for you 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:29.299 listening. We are just looking at the mechanics 00:01:29.299 --> 00:01:31.959 and the math today. We are analyzing the mechanics 00:01:31.959 --> 00:01:34.540 of these structures, not the politics. Absolutely. 00:01:34.540 --> 00:01:37.519 There are no politics here, no taking sides and 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:40.299 no endorsing of any political viewpoints. We're 00:01:40.299 --> 00:01:43.260 simply acting as your impartial guides to. the 00:01:43.260 --> 00:01:46.420 factual structures, the operational rules, and 00:01:46.420 --> 00:01:48.560 the raw data contained in this original source 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:50.159 material. We just want to see how the engine 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:52.799 runs. Exactly. Okay, let's unpack this. Because 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.260 the sheer scale of the Senate's workload as laid 00:01:55.260 --> 00:01:57.859 out in the data here is pretty staggering once 00:01:57.859 --> 00:02:00.519 you see it all in one place. It really is. According 00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:03.400 to the source, there are 88 subsidiary bodies 00:02:03.400 --> 00:02:06.359 in the U .S. Senate. 88. 88 different entities. 00:02:07.549 --> 00:02:10.129 To visualize how this operates, you really shouldn't 00:02:10.129 --> 00:02:13.110 think of the Senate as one giant meeting room 00:02:13.110 --> 00:02:15.430 where 100 people sit around debating every single 00:02:15.430 --> 00:02:18.289 issue. Right. That would be chaos. Complete chaos. 00:02:18.430 --> 00:02:20.669 You have to think of it more like a massive corporate 00:02:20.669 --> 00:02:23.289 headquarters divided into highly specialized 00:02:23.289 --> 00:02:25.789 departments. Yeah, that's a great analogy. The 00:02:25.789 --> 00:02:28.430 delegation of labor is the only way an institution 00:02:28.430 --> 00:02:30.789 of that massive size can actually function. Because 00:02:30.789 --> 00:02:33.199 they cover everything. Everything. I mean, a 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:36.120 single senator cannot possibly be a leading expert 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:39.180 on agricultural subsidies, cybersecurity and 00:02:39.180 --> 00:02:41.240 international trade law all at the same time. 00:02:41.300 --> 00:02:43.900 No one has that kind of bandwidth. Exactly. So 00:02:43.900 --> 00:02:46.599 let's break down how those 88 bodies are categorized. 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:50.259 The core of this entire system relies on 16. 00:02:51.110 --> 00:02:53.250 Standing committees. Standing meaning permanent, 00:02:53.430 --> 00:02:55.949 right? Yes. They are the permanent foundational 00:02:55.949 --> 00:02:58.509 bodies of the Senate. Their specific responsibilities 00:02:58.509 --> 00:03:00.889 and boundaries are permanently spelled out in 00:03:00.889 --> 00:03:03.050 the Senate's rules. Got it. And beneath those 00:03:03.050 --> 00:03:07.449 16 main pillars, you have 67 subcommittees. 67. 00:03:07.629 --> 00:03:10.270 Yeah, which is where the jurisdiction gets incredibly 00:03:10.270 --> 00:03:12.740 granular. We'll get to those later. And beyond 00:03:12.740 --> 00:03:14.979 the standing committees and their subcommittees, 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:18.599 the source material also lists a few outliers 00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:21.319 that complete the architecture. The special ones. 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:24.319 Right. There are four non -standing committees. 00:03:24.900 --> 00:03:28.280 The text also refers to them as select or special 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:31.039 committees, and they are treated similarly to 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:33.340 the standing ones. And those are? Those are the 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:36.680 committees dedicated to aging, ethics, intelligence, 00:03:36.900 --> 00:03:40.439 and Indian affairs. Okay. Then finally, you have 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:43.699 four joint committees used for legislative and 00:03:43.699 --> 00:03:46.419 administrative coordination. Joint, meaning they 00:03:46.419 --> 00:03:48.680 include members from both the Senate and the 00:03:48.680 --> 00:03:50.919 House of Representatives. Exactly. Pulling the 00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:53.780 two chambers together, those four are the Joint 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:55.780 Economic Committee, the Joint Committee on the 00:03:55.780 --> 00:03:58.120 Library, the Joint Committee on Printing, and 00:03:58.120 --> 00:04:00.139 the Joint Committee on Taxation. The library 00:04:00.139 --> 00:04:02.120 and printing ones always stand out to me. Oh, 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:04.860 totally. It just highlights how deep the administrative 00:04:04.860 --> 00:04:07.379 roots of the government actually go. You don't 00:04:07.379 --> 00:04:09.520 just need highly visible committees to write 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:12.120 the tax laws. You need a permanent designated 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:16.540 body to oversee the literal printing of the government's 00:04:16.540 --> 00:04:18.839 documents. Right. But how does a committee actually 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:20.860 get its power? Like if I'm a senator running 00:04:20.860 --> 00:04:23.220 one of these groups, what stops me from just 00:04:23.220 --> 00:04:26.319 holding a hearing on whatever is making headlines 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:29.550 that day? What's fascinating here is that a senator's 00:04:29.550 --> 00:04:32.970 jurisdiction isn't just random. A committee chair 00:04:32.970 --> 00:04:35.889 cannot simply expand their portfolio on a whim. 00:04:36.050 --> 00:04:38.610 So it's locked down. Rigidly locked down. The 00:04:38.610 --> 00:04:40.769 authority to oversee, investigate, and draft 00:04:40.769 --> 00:04:43.870 legislation is set by three very strict sources. 00:04:44.209 --> 00:04:45.959 Okay, what's the first one? First, there are 00:04:45.959 --> 00:04:48.899 the Senate rules, specifically Rule XXV. That 00:04:48.899 --> 00:04:51.360 acts as the foundational master rulebook for 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:53.560 what each committee is allowed to touch. Rule 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:56.779 25. Yes. Second, jurisdiction can be granted 00:04:56.779 --> 00:04:58.819 through ad hoc Senate resolutions. It's like 00:04:58.819 --> 00:05:01.500 a temporary assignment. Exactly. It might assign 00:05:01.500 --> 00:05:03.860 a specific investigative power to a committee 00:05:03.860 --> 00:05:07.100 for a set period. And third, and perhaps most 00:05:07.100 --> 00:05:09.959 importantly, jurisdiction is governed by Senate 00:05:09.959 --> 00:05:12.930 resolutions related to committee funding. Because 00:05:12.930 --> 00:05:15.569 the money dictates the reality of the work. Bingo. 00:05:15.670 --> 00:05:17.790 If your committee doesn't have the funding resolution 00:05:17.790 --> 00:05:21.250 to hire expert staff or legal counsel for a specific 00:05:21.250 --> 00:05:24.129 issue, you simply don't have the bandwidth to 00:05:24.129 --> 00:05:26.569 exert power over that issue. Here's where it 00:05:26.569 --> 00:05:28.670 gets really interesting. Oh, the tier system. 00:05:29.009 --> 00:05:31.870 Yes, the concept of committee classes. If the 00:05:31.870 --> 00:05:34.470 power is this structured, how does the Senate 00:05:34.470 --> 00:05:36.649 decide who gets to hold it? It's all about the 00:05:36.649 --> 00:05:39.230 math. Because if I'm a newly elected senator... 00:05:39.310 --> 00:05:41.629 I assume I can't just submit a wish list and 00:05:41.629 --> 00:05:44.209 demand to be put on all the most powerful, high 00:05:44.209 --> 00:05:46.470 profile committees. It's kind of like a fantasy 00:05:46.470 --> 00:05:49.990 sports draft or, you know, selecting a college 00:05:49.990 --> 00:05:52.269 major. Right. Senators can't just join whatever 00:05:52.269 --> 00:05:54.829 committee they want. The institution has to stop 00:05:54.829 --> 00:05:58.550 a small handful of popular senators from monopolizing 00:05:58.550 --> 00:06:00.670 all the influence. So they use classes. Yes. 00:06:01.129 --> 00:06:03.410 Committees are divided by their relative importance 00:06:03.410 --> 00:06:07.470 into classes A, B and C. The strict math behind 00:06:07.470 --> 00:06:09.610 these assignments is what prevents a monopoly 00:06:09.610 --> 00:06:12.689 on power. What's the formula? In general, individual 00:06:12.689 --> 00:06:15.250 senators are strictly limited to serving on two 00:06:15.250 --> 00:06:18.129 Class A committees and one Class B committee. 00:06:18.350 --> 00:06:21.170 Two A, one B. Exactly. Let's look at the VIP 00:06:21.170 --> 00:06:24.329 list, because Class A is where the real heavy 00:06:24.329 --> 00:06:26.790 hitters live. The big ones. According to the 00:06:26.790 --> 00:06:30.769 text, 12 of the 16 standing committees are designated 00:06:30.769 --> 00:06:33.339 as Class A. If you're watching the evening news, 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:35.339 these are the committees you are hearing about. 00:06:35.420 --> 00:06:37.540 For sure. We are talking about appropriations, 00:06:37.540 --> 00:06:40.439 which actually directs where the federal money 00:06:40.439 --> 00:06:43.300 goes. Then you have armed services, foreign relations, 00:06:43.620 --> 00:06:46.920 finance, and judiciary. So if a senator is limited 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:49.579 to just two of those, they are being forced to 00:06:49.579 --> 00:06:52.079 make an incredibly strategic choice about their 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:54.819 career. Yeah, the opportunity cost is massive. 00:06:55.079 --> 00:06:57.480 If you plant your flag on armed services and 00:06:57.480 --> 00:06:59.779 foreign relations, you are locking yourself out 00:06:59.779 --> 00:07:01.639 of the finance committee. You're giving up the 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:04.800 ability to directly shape tax policy in exchange 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:07.779 for shaping global strategy. Which forces a division 00:07:07.779 --> 00:07:10.699 of labor among the 100 senators. Right. Okay, 00:07:10.740 --> 00:07:13.720 so after those two Class A choices, they drop 00:07:13.720 --> 00:07:15.879 down to the Class B list. They are allowed one 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:18.120 of these. And what's on that list? The Class 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:21.680 B standing committees are budget, rules and administration, 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:24.939 small business, and veterans affairs. Got it. 00:07:25.019 --> 00:07:28.000 So the standard portfolio is two Class A, one 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:31.800 Class B. But what about Class C? The rules for 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:34.220 Class C are completely different. Assignment 00:07:34.220 --> 00:07:36.600 to a Class C committee is made without any reference 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:39.500 to a member's service on other panels. Oh, so 00:07:39.500 --> 00:07:41.579 there are no limits? No limits. Serving on a 00:07:41.579 --> 00:07:43.579 Class C committee does not count against your 00:07:43.579 --> 00:07:45.920 strict limits for A and B. Which ones are Class 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:48.259 C? Currently, the Select Committee on Indian 00:07:48.259 --> 00:07:51.120 Affairs and the Select Committee on Ethics are 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:54.259 Class C. alongside those joint committees on 00:07:54.259 --> 00:07:56.459 the library, printing, and taxation we mentioned 00:07:56.459 --> 00:07:58.699 earlier. That makes perfect sense. You wouldn't 00:07:58.699 --> 00:08:00.379 want a senator to have to give up a seat on the 00:08:00.379 --> 00:08:02.259 Armed Services Committee just because they were 00:08:02.259 --> 00:08:04.139 asked to do the internal work on the Ethics Committee. 00:08:04.519 --> 00:08:07.480 Exactly. It separates the necessary institutional 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:10.060 duties from the highly sought -after legislative 00:08:10.060 --> 00:08:12.959 power centers. So what does this all mean for 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:15.939 the people actually running the show? Because 00:08:15.939 --> 00:08:18.660 just sitting on a committee gives you a vote. 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:21.300 But holding the gavel is where the real authority 00:08:21.300 --> 00:08:24.300 lies. Leadership is everything. And the source 00:08:24.300 --> 00:08:27.300 outlines that each party determines their committee 00:08:27.300 --> 00:08:30.720 leads. Whichever party holds the majority gets 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:33.980 the chair and the minority party gets the ranking 00:08:33.980 --> 00:08:36.919 member. But there is a highly specific, really 00:08:36.919 --> 00:08:39.620 fascinating rule from the Senate Republican Conference 00:08:39.620 --> 00:08:42.480 mentioned in the text regarding term limits for 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:44.840 leadership. Tell me about this rule. A Republican 00:08:44.840 --> 00:08:47.860 senator can serve no more than six years cumulatively 00:08:47.860 --> 00:08:50.039 as chairman of the same standing committee. Six 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:52.240 years. So that's three congressional terms. Right. 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:54.740 Unless they are granted a specific waiver by 00:08:54.740 --> 00:08:57.360 the party conference, they hit a hard cap. That 00:08:57.360 --> 00:08:59.059 prevents someone from turning a chairmanship 00:08:59.059 --> 00:09:02.039 into a personal fiefdom for decades. Yes. It 00:09:02.039 --> 00:09:05.470 forces rotation. But the nuance of this rule 00:09:05.470 --> 00:09:07.649 is what's really interesting. Service as a ranking 00:09:07.649 --> 00:09:10.429 member is also limited to six years. But here 00:09:10.429 --> 00:09:13.190 is the critical catch. If a senator has already 00:09:13.190 --> 00:09:15.649 completed their maximum six cumulative years 00:09:15.649 --> 00:09:18.330 as the chairman of a committee, they cannot just 00:09:18.330 --> 00:09:20.750 slide into the ranking member spot if the Senate 00:09:20.750 --> 00:09:23.909 flips control. Wow. So if you max out your time 00:09:23.909 --> 00:09:26.559 holding the gavel. and then your party loses 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:29.639 the majority, you're just done leading that committee. 00:09:29.879 --> 00:09:32.299 You're permanently done in leadership for that 00:09:32.299 --> 00:09:34.759 specific committee. You cannot cling to the top 00:09:34.759 --> 00:09:37.340 minority spot. The party is forced by its own 00:09:37.340 --> 00:09:40.759 rules to elevate a completely new voice. That 00:09:40.759 --> 00:09:43.519 is a massive shift in power dynamics. To make 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:45.639 this a bit more concrete for you listening, let's 00:09:45.639 --> 00:09:47.419 look at a few of the specific leadership names 00:09:47.419 --> 00:09:49.779 from the 119th Congress, which again, started 00:09:49.779 --> 00:09:53.000 January 3, 2025. Let's do it. Let's take that 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.470 massive Class A appropriation. Committee we talked 00:09:55.470 --> 00:09:58.029 about earlier. Susan Collins, a Republican from 00:09:58.029 --> 00:10:00.669 Maine, is the chair. Patty Murray, a Democrat 00:10:00.669 --> 00:10:03.250 from Washington, is the ranking member. Two highly 00:10:03.250 --> 00:10:05.950 experienced lawmakers from opposite coasts managing 00:10:05.950 --> 00:10:08.730 the primary flow of federal funds. Then you look 00:10:08.730 --> 00:10:11.149 at the Judiciary Committee. Chuck Grassley, a 00:10:11.149 --> 00:10:13.750 Republican from Iowa, is the chair. Dick Durbin, 00:10:13.830 --> 00:10:15.950 a Democrat from Illinois, is the ranking member. 00:10:16.169 --> 00:10:19.029 Classic Class A powerhouses. But the dynamic 00:10:19.029 --> 00:10:21.049 that really caught my eye was on the Health, 00:10:21.049 --> 00:10:23.639 Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Usually 00:10:23.639 --> 00:10:25.759 called the HELP committee. The HELP committee. 00:10:26.019 --> 00:10:29.120 Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, is 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:32.080 the chair. But interestingly, Bernie Sanders 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:35.759 from Vermont serves as the ranking member. And 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:38.759 the text specifically notes his party affiliation 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:41.960 as an independent. Yeah, the presence of an independent 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:44.720 in a top leadership role is a unique operational 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:47.220 quirk. How does that work if the parties make 00:10:47.220 --> 00:10:50.000 the assignments? The chamber organizes its entire 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.000 power structure around the two major parties. 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:55.059 However, independents who caucus with one of 00:10:55.059 --> 00:10:57.299 those parties, meaning they align and vote with 00:10:57.299 --> 00:10:59.879 that party for organizational purposes, can still 00:10:59.879 --> 00:11:02.860 rise to the very top leadership positions. It 00:11:02.860 --> 00:11:04.799 just shows how parliamentary alignment can sometimes 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:07.620 supersede strict party registration. Absolutely. 00:11:07.899 --> 00:11:10.059 Okay, we have mapped out the broad structure, 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:13.899 the rigid A, B, and C tier system, the complex 00:11:13.899 --> 00:11:16.720 six -year term limits. Now, I want to guide you 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:18.940 into the deepest level of this deep dive. We're 00:11:18.940 --> 00:11:21.679 going down to the subcommittees. Yes, the 67 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:24.179 subcommittees. If the full committees are the 00:11:24.179 --> 00:11:26.179 broad corporate departments from our earlier 00:11:26.179 --> 00:11:29.440 analogy, these subcommittees are the hyper -focused 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:32.240 task forces working in the basement labs. It's 00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:35.039 where you truly see how incredibly niche the 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:37.919 Senate's daily work gets. Let me list some of 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:40.840 these surprising and highly specific subcommittees. 00:11:41.289 --> 00:11:43.909 directly from the text, just to showcase the 00:11:43.909 --> 00:11:46.090 modern complexities the Senate actually handles. 00:11:46.230 --> 00:11:48.610 Go for it. Under the Banking, Housing, and Urban 00:11:48.610 --> 00:11:51.389 Affairs Committee, there is a subcommittee entirely 00:11:51.389 --> 00:11:54.870 dedicated to digital assets, chaired by Cynthia 00:11:54.870 --> 00:11:58.090 Loomis. A decade ago, a permanent Senate task 00:11:58.090 --> 00:12:00.269 force for cryptocurrency would have seemed like 00:12:00.269 --> 00:12:02.169 science fiction. Now it requires a dedicated 00:12:02.169 --> 00:12:04.269 room in the Capitol. If we connect this to the 00:12:04.269 --> 00:12:06.429 bigger picture, it explains why this matters 00:12:06.429 --> 00:12:09.190 to you. These subcommittees are where the actual 00:12:09.190 --> 00:12:13.070 vetting of highly specific, localized, or futuristic 00:12:13.070 --> 00:12:15.830 policies occurs. We see that same specialization 00:12:15.830 --> 00:12:18.350 under the Armed Services Committee. There aren't 00:12:18.350 --> 00:12:20.509 just subcommittees for generic military hardware. 00:12:20.769 --> 00:12:23.490 There are subcommittees for cybersecurity, chaired 00:12:23.490 --> 00:12:26.529 by Mike Rounds, and another for emerging threats 00:12:26.529 --> 00:12:29.919 and capabilities, chaired by Joni Ernst. Warfare 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:31.860 isn't just physical anymore, so the structure 00:12:31.860 --> 00:12:34.700 has to reflect data warfare and asymmetric threats. 00:12:35.059 --> 00:12:38.080 Exactly. Here's another fascinating one. Under 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:40.480 Commerce, Science, and Transportation, there's 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:43.259 an Aviation, Space, and Innovation Subcommittee, 00:12:43.419 --> 00:12:46.139 chaired by Jerry Moran. A designated group for 00:12:46.139 --> 00:12:48.460 human spaceflight and commercial orbital innovation. 00:12:48.899 --> 00:12:50.740 And look at the Environment and Public Works 00:12:50.740 --> 00:12:53.929 Committee. The text lists a subcommittee chaired 00:12:53.929 --> 00:12:56.830 by John Curtis that specifically deals with chemical 00:12:56.830 --> 00:12:59.629 safety, waste management, environmental justice, 00:12:59.929 --> 00:13:02.529 and regulatory oversight. That is an incredibly 00:13:02.529 --> 00:13:04.909 complex intersection of industrial chemistry 00:13:04.909 --> 00:13:07.549 and community justice. You cannot effectively 00:13:07.549 --> 00:13:09.909 legislate the realities of chemical waste management 00:13:09.909 --> 00:13:13.279 in a broad strokes meeting of 100 people. No, 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:16.039 you need a dedicated, specialized team looking 00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:19.120 at the granular data. It emphasizes that this 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:21.139 structure ensures that no matter how complex 00:13:21.139 --> 00:13:23.500 the modern world gets, from digital currency 00:13:23.500 --> 00:13:26.539 to space innovation, there is a specific designated 00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:29.200 room in the capital complex assigned to study 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:32.840 it. The 88 bodies represent an ongoing attempt 00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:35.879 to map the entire scope of human activity and 00:13:35.879 --> 00:13:38.200 then divide it mathematically among just 100 00:13:38.200 --> 00:13:41.049 individuals. It's a vast machine. So to bring 00:13:41.049 --> 00:13:42.870 this all back together and summarize the journey 00:13:42.870 --> 00:13:45.590 we have been on today, we've mapped out the 88 00:13:45.590 --> 00:13:48.649 subsidiary bodies. We looked at the strict Class 00:13:48.649 --> 00:13:51.809 A, B and C tier system that forces senators to 00:13:51.809 --> 00:13:54.070 specialize. We covered the six year term limits 00:13:54.070 --> 00:13:56.429 on Republican leadership that prevents stagnation. 00:13:56.529 --> 00:13:58.429 And finally, we zoomed all the way in on those 00:13:58.429 --> 00:14:01.669 67 highly specific subcommittees that run the 00:14:01.669 --> 00:14:03.470 granular day to day work of the United States 00:14:03.470 --> 00:14:05.159 government. Right. And the reason you should 00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:06.899 care about all of this hidden architecture is 00:14:06.899 --> 00:14:09.139 simple. The next time you hear about a bill or 00:14:09.139 --> 00:14:11.700 a law on the news, you will now know exactly 00:14:11.700 --> 00:14:15.000 the kind of highly structured, rigorously categorized 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:17.500 machinery it had to pass through just to see 00:14:17.500 --> 00:14:19.419 the light of day. The jurisdictional battles, 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:21.919 the funding resolutions, the niche subcommittee 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:25.080 hearings. Exactly. This raises an important question, 00:14:25.100 --> 00:14:28.220 however. Oh. A final provocative thought I want 00:14:28.220 --> 00:14:31.320 to deliver directly to you, the listener, to 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:33.450 ponder on your own. Let's hear it. The source 00:14:33.450 --> 00:14:36.129 material outlines an incredibly structured system 00:14:36.129 --> 00:14:40.250 of 16 main committees divided into 67 highly 00:14:40.250 --> 00:14:43.669 niche subcommittees. Does this hyper specialized 00:14:43.669 --> 00:14:46.490 division of labor make the Senate perfectly equipped 00:14:46.490 --> 00:14:49.230 to handle the complex, deeply technical issues 00:14:49.230 --> 00:14:53.129 of the modern world? Or does it silo our lawmakers 00:14:53.129 --> 00:14:56.210 so deeply into their specific lanes that it becomes 00:14:56.210 --> 00:14:58.470 impossible for anyone to step back and see the 00:14:58.470 --> 00:15:00.730 big picture? Does zooming in that closely make 00:15:00.730 --> 00:15:03.039 you lose sight of the horizon? That is a brilliant 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:05.879 question to leave on. Thank you so much for joining 00:15:05.879 --> 00:15:08.100 us on this deep dive into the hidden architecture 00:15:08.100 --> 00:15:10.220 of the Senate. We hope you walk away feeling 00:15:10.220 --> 00:15:12.139 a little more plugged into how the engine room 00:15:12.139 --> 00:15:14.840 actually operates. Until next time, stay curious 00:15:14.840 --> 00:15:15.440 and take care.