Chapter 6 (Part 2)

 Senate: 30 years old, live in state you represent and be a citizen for 9 years  House: 25 years old, live in the state you represent and be a citizen for 7 years  Privileges: Salary: current annual salary of $165,200/yr for both houses  Free parking, free office space, free trips to home states, send job related mail without paying postage – known as franking privilege

 Personal Staff: Run offices in Washington, DC as well as home state Deal with lobbyist – people hired by private groups to influence government  Committee Staff: Draft/outline bills, gather information, organize committee hearings, negotiate with lobbyists  Support Services: Library of Congress – one copy of every book published in the United States is kept there  Finance and Budget: (Congressional Budget Office) Makes no policy recommendations, but offers estimates to costs and economic effects of programs

 Casework – Congressional helping of home district in dealing with federal government (10,000+ requests in a year)  Helping District: Public Works – bills that fund things like post offices, dams, military bases, and veteran’s hospitals Grants/Contracts – Help gain money source for home districts  Pork-barrel projects – Government grants the primarily benefit home district/state Influence – make deals to get deals

 Two Bill Categories 1. Private Bills: Concern individual people or places – dealing with claims against government 2. Public Bills: apply to the entire nation and involve general matters like taxation  Joint Resolutions – Formal statements passed by both houses – become laws if signed by the president  Amendments & designate money for special purpose

1. Starts as an idea 2. Committee Action – Pass, 2. Mark with changes, 3. Replace with new bill, 4. ignore bill and let die, 5. kill bill with majority 3. Debate – Houses discuss pros/cons of bill 1. Rules: fillibuster – “talk a bill to death” – take floor and talk to bill dies (can be ended with a 3/5 vote known as cloture)

1. Voting - House Voice Vote – simply vote yea or no Standing Vote – Those in favor stand Record Vote – votes are recorded electronically 2. Voting – Senate Voice Vote, Standing Vote, and Roll Call Vote – call aye or no as names are called (majority of members present needed to pass)  Senate and House must pass identical forms of bill

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 After a bill is passed it goes to the president  Actions: Veto – Refuse to sign the bill  Pocket Veto – president does nothing for 10 days  If Congress is in session – bill becomes law without signature  If Congress is adjourned – bill dies (The Pocket Veto)  If Vetoed Congress can save the bill with a presidential override – requires 2/3 vote from each house – only 106 vetoes have been overturned