Joint Economic Committee

The Joint Economic Committee is a permanent joint committee established by the Employment Act of 1946, meaning it conducts ongoing research and analysis rather than serving as a temporary conference committee. It does not report legislation to either chamber floor. The committee's core mandate is to review the nation's economic conditions and recommend improvements in economic policy. Specifically, it studies the implications of the President's Economic Report each year and files an annual report to Congress with findings and recommendations by March 1. The committee also holds hearings on economic matters and issues reports on topics ranging from inflation and employment to trade policy, healthcare costs, and fraud prevention.

The committee is composed of 20 members total—10 from the Senate and 10 from the House, with the majority party holding 6 seats and the minority party holding 4 seats in each chamber. Currently, the chair position is vacant, and Senator Margaret Wood Hassan of New Hampshire serves as the ranking member. Recent committee activity includes hearings on frontier technologies and innovation, healthcare cost reform, labor and immigration policy, supply chain modernization, and consumer fraud protection.

The Joint Economic Committee plays an important role in providing Congress with independent economic expertise and analysis. Its research and publications inform legislative decisions on fiscal policy, employment, inflation, and other economic priorities. By bringing together members from both chambers, the committee facilitates bipartisan dialogue on economic challenges facing the nation.