Ranking member, in American politics, is a term used to refer to the member of a committee in Congress who is the longest-serving member of the party not in the majority (the longest-serving member of the majority is the chairman). The ranking member is usually considered the second highest rank on the committee. The Federal Government of the United States was established by the United States Constitution. ... A Congressional committee in the parlance of the United States Congress and politics of the United States is a legislative sub-organization that handles a specific duty (rather than the general duties of Congress, i. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... A chairman is the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or other deliberative body. ...