Ways and means committee

A ways and means committee is a government body that is charged with reviewing and making recommendations for government budgets. Because the raising of revenue is vital to carrying out governmental operations, such a committee is tasked with finding the ways and means with which to raise that revenue.

The term "ways and means" originated with the Parliament of England and refers to the provision of revenue to meet national expenditure requirements and to implement the objectives of economic policy. The ways and means are provided by the imposition of taxation.