chapter 12 congress in action

1. Chapter 12Congress in Action

3. Section 1�Congress Organizes Why It Matters: How Congress is organized and how its leaders are chosen and who they are, plays a large part in determining what the nation�s lawmakers can and will do.

4. Section 1�Congress Organizes Political Dictionary: Speaker of the House President of the Senate President pro tempore Party caucus Floor leader Whip Committee chairman Seniority rule

5. Section 1�Congress Organizes Congress Convenes January 3 of every odd numbered year Opening Day in the House Clerk presides Roll call Speaker chosen�sworn in by �Dean� Other members sworn in Democrats to the right, Republicans to the left Other officers and rules Permanent committees

6. Section 1�Congress Organizes Congress Convenes (cont) Opening Day in the Senate Continuous body since 1789 New members are sworn in State of the Union Message �He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their Considerations such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. --Article II, Section 3

7. Section 1�Congress Organizes The Presiding Officers The Speaker of the House Duties are to preside and keep order Interprets rules, appoints committees Must vacate the chair to debate Does not usually vote except in a tie

8. Section 1�Congress Organizes The Presiding Officers (cont) The President of the Senate Vice President of the United States May only vote in a tie A president pro tempore is named Usually the longest serving member of the majority party

9. Section 1�Congress Organizes Party Officers The Party Caucus Partisan issues Party organization The Floor Leaders Majority & Minority leaders Whips�discipline/police members

10. Section 1�Congress Organizes Committee Chairmen From the majority party Control agendas/witnesses Seniority Rule Longest service determines leadership Used since the late 1800s Criticism of the Seniority Rule From safe districts Not always the �best� people House now limits to six years

11. Section 2�Committees in Congress Objectives: Explain how the standing committees function. Describe the duties and responsibilities of the House Rules Committee. Compare the functions of the joint and conference committees.

12. Section 2�Committees in Congress Why It Matters: The lawmaking process in both houses is built around committees, and these bodies play a major role in shaping the public policies of the United States.

13. Section 2�Committees in Congress Political Dictionary: Standing committee Select committee Joint committee Conference committee

14. Section 2�Committees in Congress Standing Committees Committee Assignments 19 in the House, 17 in the Senate today House size varies from 10 to 75 Senate size varies from 14 to 28 The House Rules Committee Traffic cop�all bills need a �rule� Select Committees A special purpose/investigation

15. Section 2�Committees in Congress Joint and Conference Committees Select committees�special purpose or routine Conference committees

16. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House Objectives: List the first steps in the introduction of a bill to the House Describe what happens to a bill once it is referred to a committee Explain how House leaders schedule debate on a bill Explain what happens to a bill on the House floor, and identify the final step in the passage of a bill in the House

17. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House Why It Matters: The lawmaking process is quite complicated�indeed, it may be likened to a very difficult obstacle course. Only a small fraction of the bills introduced in the House survive that course.

18. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House Political Dictionary: Bill Joint Resolution Concurrent Resolution Resolution Rider Discharge petition

19. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House The First Steps Many bills are proposed by the executive branch Revenue bills must originate in the House Types of Bills and Resolutions Public bills apply to the whole nation Private bills apply to certain persons or places

20. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House The First Steps (cont) Joint Resolutions�force of law They deal with temporary issues Concurrent Resolutions Do not have the force of law�do not require the president�s signature Resolutions Are taken up by only one house Sometimes a �rider� is attached�often to appropriations bills��Christmas trees�

21. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House The First Steps (cont) The First Reading By the clerk after introduction House bills are �H. R. #� Senate bills are �S #� Given a title Entered into the Journal and Congressional Record Not literal�can be altered within 5 days

22. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House The Bill in Committee Standing committees are sieves to weed out legislation-pigeonholed A Discharge Petition can get a bill out of committee�requires 218 signatures Gathering Information Subcommittees�80 in the House and 70 in the Senate Travel (junkets), take testimony

23. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House The Bill in Committee (cont) Committee Actions Report the bill favorably� �do pass� Refuse to report the bill�pigeonhole Report the bill in amended form Report the bill with an unfavorable recommendation Report a committee bill�a new substitute bill written by the committee

24. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House Scheduling Floor Debate Calendars The Calendar of the Committee of the Whole (Union Calendar) Dealing with revenues, appropriations, gov prop The House Calendar�all other public bills The Calendar of the Committee of the Whole House�private bills Corrections Calendar�bills taken out of order�usually no opposition Discharge calendar�to get bills out of committee

25. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House Scheduling Floor Debate (cont) Rules All bills must have a �rule� Some bills are privileged�appropriations/revenue, conference reports The House may suspend its rules by a ? vote and enact something in a single day

26. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House The Bill on the Floor A second reading The Committee of the Whole A quicker way to move business The Speaker steps down The five minute rule is used for debate Debate Greatly limited because of the size

27. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House The Bill on the Floor Procedural motions may be considered May use a voice vote May request a standing vote or division of the House 1/5 can demand a teller vote�an old practice not often used today

28. Section 3�How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House The Bill on the Floor A roll-call vote or record vote is most common today�electronic 15 minutes are usually allowed Final Steps Engrossing or printing Third reading and final vote

29. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate Objectives: Explain how a bill is introduced in the Senate. Compare the Senate�s rules for debate with those in the House. Describe the role of conference committees in the legislative process. Evaluate the actions the President can take after both houses have passes a bill.

30. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate Why It Matters: A bill that survives the legislative obstacle course in one house must still be passed in the other chamber�and can face yet more hurdles before it can become law.

31. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate Political Dictionary: Filibuster Cloture Veto Pocket veto

32. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate Introducing the Bill Introduced by a senator, given a number and title and then referred to a committee. More informal/less strict about rules Only one calendar�bills are called up at the discretion of the majority leader

33. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate Rules for Debate Virtually unlimited in length No rule about �germane� No ability to move the previous question Debate ends by unanimous consent Two-speech rule on any matter

34. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate Rules for Debate (cont) Filibuster� �talk a bill to death� Huey Long�15 hours in 1935 Strom Thurmond�24 hours 18 minutes Over 200 matters have been killed this way over the past century Controlling rules like remaining standing are not usually enforced

35. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate Rules for Debate (cont) The Cloture Rule Rule XXII in the Standing Rules came about in 1917 16 members can call for cloture---then two days must pass 60% of senators can invoke cloture After another 30 hours a final vote

36. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate Conference Committees When different versions of the same legislation are passed in one house a conference is appointed to resolve the differences. Usually committee leaders from each house so it seldom fails

37. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate The President Acts The President can sign a bill and it becomes law The President may veto a law and return it to the originating house They may re-pass the bill with ? majority and it becomes law

38. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate The President Acts (cont) The President may allow the act to become law without signing within 10 days The president may hold the bill without signing. If Congress adjourns it is considered a �pocket veto.� In 1996 the President was given the Line Item Veto for parts of appropriations Declared unconstitutional in 1998

39. Section 4�The Bill in the Senate