Ways and means committee

A ways and means committee is a government body that is charged with reviewing and making recommendations for government budgets. The term "ways and means" originated with the English Parliament (later the British Parliament and UK Parliament) and refers to the provision of revenue to meet national expenditure requirements and to implement the objectives of economic policy. Ways and means are principally provided by the imposition of taxation. Because the raising of revenue is vital to carrying out governmental operations, such a committee is literally tasked with finding the ways and means with which to raise that revenue.