A Congressional Hearing:
- is generally open to the public
- conducted by a Congressional Committee
- takes testimony:
- to gather information and opinions on proposed legislation
- to conduct an investigation
- to provide oversight regarding the performance of a government program
- to review a problem or issue within the committee's jurisdiction to determine whether there is need for a legislative solution
- may refer introduced legislation to sub-committees, where it may "die" if not acted upon in that Congress
Official hearings publications can include:
- written and oral statements of witnesses
- transcripts of the verbal question-and-answer session between the committee and witnesses
- reports, exhibits, and other materials submitted for the record by witnesses
- correspondence and other materials submitted by interested parties
