History
Committee Chairs' Gatekeeping Power Over Legislation
Quick fact
In the U.S. Congress, a committee chair can simply refuse to schedule a hearing on a bill, causing it to 'die in committee'—roughly 80-90% of introduced bills never make it past this gate.
Why this is interesting
Ever wonder why some bills get all the attention while others quietly die? A single person—the committee chair—might be the reason.