Continued Notes

Congress  Main purpose is to make laws  The process created through the Constitution is slow and complicated  It encourages compromise  There are eight steps a proposed law, or bill, must travel through before it becomes a law

Step One: Introduce the proposed legislation  Any member of Congress can introduce a bill—he or she is called the sponsor of the bill  Bills can come from the executive branch, members of Congress, or interest groups  Representatives drop their bills in the hopper (a box on the House clerk’s desk); in the Senate, the presiding officer must recognize a sponsor  Once recognized, a bill receives a number and the prefix HR or S

Step Two: Send the bill to the appropriate committee  Standing Committees study the sponsored legislation  Small groups of legislators who have specialized areas of knowledge  These committees decide whether the bill should be presented to the full chamber  Party members decide who will serve on which committees  The House has 20 standing committees and the Senate has 16

Step Two—continued  In the House, the Speaker assigns the new bill to the proper committee, including  Armed Services  Budget  Rules  Intelligence  In the Senate, the presiding officer schedules the bills; their committees include  Finance  Judiciary  Ways and Means  Veterans’ Affairs

Still Step Two!  If the committee decides not to consider the bill, it has no chance of becoming a law  If the committee does decide to consider the bill, it is assigned to a subcommittee  Hold hearings on the bill  Mark-up the bill—change, amend, and rewrite the bill  If the subcommittee approves the bill, it returns to the original committee to begin the process again

Step Three: Prepare the bill for debate in the sponsor’s chamber  When a bill is ready in the Senate, its sponsors schedule when the debate will begin through a unanimous consent agreement  In the House, the bill is placed on one of four calendars  The Union Calendar: for bills to raise taxes or for spending  The House Calendar: bills that won’t need money  The Consent Calendar: non-controversial bills  The Private Calendar: for bills requiring the US to make a payment to a person or group of people

Step Four: Debate the bill in the sponsoring member’s chamber  In the House, the Rules Committee decides  When the House will debate the bill  If the bill can be amended during the debate  How much time will be given to each Representative to speak on the bill

Step Four—continued  This committee is very powerful  They can delay a vote, making people lose interest  They can help opponents add killer amendments, which are additions others won’t approve  The can help supporters add sweetener amendments, to encourage members to vote for the bill

Step Four—continued  The Senate can add riders to bills; these are amendments that have nothing to do with the original bill  The Senate has no time limit on debates

Filibuster  A Senator can delay a vote through filibuster, by hogging the floor and not allowing others to debate  If 2/3 of the Senators agree, a filibuster can be stopped through cloture, a request for a limited debate

Step Five: Vote in the sponsor’s chamber  Bills are voted on in several ways  By voice vote (aye or no)  By standing vote (stand to show yes or no)  By roll call (recorded votes)  In the Senate, a bill passes with a majority vote (51 out of 100 votes)  In the House, a bill passes with a majority vote (218 out of 435 votes)  Bills are then referred to a conference committee who will create a compromise bill

Step Six: Review the bill after it has been passed by the other chamber  Because both the House and Senate may pass similar bills with different amendments, a conference committee will meet to create a compromise bill

Step Seven: Both chambers vote on the compromise bill  If the compromise bill is defeated, it dies there  If it passes in one chamber, it still must pass in the other chamber

Step Eight: Send the Congress- approved bill to the president  When both chambers approve a bill, it is signed by the Speaker of the House and the president of the Senate  They then send it to the president

 If he signs it, it becomes law  If he doesn’t act within 10 days, it becomes a law  If Congress adjourns before he acts and before the 10 days, it doesn’t become a law (pocket veto)  If he doesn’t sign it, it is vetoed and does not become a law  Congress can override a veto by having 2/3 of its membership voting to do so

Temporary committees work to examine specific issues. Nonlegislative Tasks of Congress

Nonlegislative Tasks  Oversight: it keeps an eye on the national government  Public Education: they study government and societal problems  Send out free mail through their franking privilege  Helping citizens deal with their government