Congress In Action

1. Congress In Action Making a Bill a Law

2. Speaker of the House • Elected by members of the majority party • Next in line of succession • Most important legislative position

3. President Pro Temps of the Senate • Leader of the senate when the VP is not there • Next in line after the Speaker

4. Majority Floor Leaders • Leaders of each party in each House

5. Party Whips • Serve as a link between the leaders & the rank and file members of Congress Dick Durbin Jon Kyl Steny Hoyer Kevin McCarthy

6. Committee Chairman • Chosen from majority party • Longest serving member of the committee from the majority party • Chairman decides: when they meet, bills to take up, whether or not to hold public meetings, call witnesses • They then steer the debate and manage the bill

7. Committees • Most work is done in committees • Standing committees – permanent committees where bills are sent • 19 in House; 17 in the Senate • Representatives usually serve on 1 o2 • Senators usually serve on 3 or 4

8. Powerful Committees • House- Rules, Ways & Means, Appropriations, Armed Services, Judiciary, International Relations • Senate- Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Finance, Judiciary, Armed Services

9. Committee Work • Most standing committees have sub-committees to split up the work • When a bill is introduced the Speaker or the President Pro Temps steers the bill to the appropriate committee • The House Rules committee determines which bills that make it through committees actually make it to the floor of the House for a vote

10. Types of Committees • Select (special) committee- set up for specific purpose & a limited time • Usually formed to investigate a specific matter • Joint Committee- one composed of both houses • Conference Committee- temporary joint created to reach a compromise on a bill passed through the chambers with different versions. Must be identical to be sent to President

12. Bill Becomes A LawHouse of Representatives • Public- applies to nation • Private- certain persons or places • Bills can be presented by members of the legislative branch, the executive branch, or regular citizens

13. Resolutions • Measure dealing with only one house, not a binding Law • Joint Resolutions- similar to bills when passed; they have the force of law; usually temporary • Concurrent Resolutions- House and Senate act together; do not have the force of law • Riders- a provision that is attached to a larger measure. Sponsor hopes it will “ride” through with the main bill. Might not be passed on its own. • If President wants the main bill passed will have to pass the “riders” along with it • Usually deals with $$$$$ “earmarks” or “pork”

14. Dead Bills • Most bills die in committee- “pigeonholed” • Discharge petition- Any member can request that a dead bill be brought to the floor • Rarely used or successful

15. Committee Actions • Report the bill favorably as is to floor for a vote • Pigeonhole • Report the bill in amended form • Report the bill unfavorably to the floor- committee does not want to be responsible for the death of the bill • Report a committee bill- new bill or several bills put together

16. Rules Committee • The Rules committee ultimately decides what bills go to the floor • Suspend the Rules- happens when Congress wants to fast track a bill • Quorum-a majority of the House needs to be present to vote on a bill • Committee of the Whole- House becomes a committee to work on a bill as a whole then will reconvene to vote on the bill • Speaker allots a certain amount of time to debate each bill brought to the floor

17. Voting • Voice votes • Standing votes • Computerized Votes- Aye, Nay, Present Engrossed- the bill is printed in its final form Speaker signs it and sends it to the Senate

18. Bill to LawSenate • Basically the same rules as the House with a few exceptions • Senate rules are less formal than the House • Bills are called to the floor at the discretion of the Senate Majority Leader • Debate is the biggest difference between the two chambers

19. Debate • Debate is mostly unrestrained • Voting does not take place until a unanimous consent is given • “Two Speech Rule”- on Senator can speak more than twice on a specific measure on the same legislative day • “Filibuster”- talking a bill to death. A group of Senators who do not want a bill passed can continue speaking until the bill is dropped or changed to suit those Senators

20. Debate • They will also use motions, quorum calls, or other manuevers to stall the vote on a bill which will likely pass • Huey Long in 1935-15 hours-Washington phone book and recipes • Glenn Taylor in 1947-8 hours- Family, fishing, Wall Street • Strom Thurmond-1957-24 hours- trying to stop the Civil Rights Acts of 1957

21. Debate • Over 200 bills have been killed by filibusters • Many bills are not even brought to floor due to threat of filibuster • Cloture-passed in 1917- must have a vote of 60 Senators “super-majority”- then bill must be brought to floor after 30 hours

22. Presidential Acts • Once a Bill has passed in identical form in both the House and Senate the President acts • Sign the bill into law • Veto- may be overridden with 2/3 vote of both houses • President could just ignore it and then it will become law in 10 days; not Sundays • Pocket Veto- if Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting the bill and the President does not act on the bill, it dies there