Essential Questions Journal Chapter 12 - Congress in Action con’t. LESSON Objectives for 01/29/16 Students will: 1.READ to IDENTIFY key facts and core concepts within their textbook related to the way Congress is organized and how it operates. 2.COLLABORATE with a partner to exchange ideas and double check each other’s comprehension of key facts and core concepts. OK State Standards for American Government 4.2Examine: Legislative…make-up, organization, functions, authority Rd.10By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/ social studies texts in the grades 11–12 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Essential Questions Journal Chapter 12 - Congress in Action Working alone or with a partner: 1.READ to IDENTIFY information contained within your textbooks for Chapter 12-Congress in Action 2.RESPOND in WRITING to the following sections: Warm up A & B (page 90) I. Organization of Congress A, B, C, and D (page 91) II. The Work of Committees A, B, C, and D (pages 92-93) OMIT III. (page 94) IV. Debate in the Senate A and B (page 95) V. Compare/Contrast House and Senate A and B (page 96)

I. Organization of Congress Congress is organized by political parties The party in power controls the agenda and the committee assignments The Vice President is constitutionally required to serve as the President of the Senate but can only vote to break a tie. However, he is rarely actually there. In his absence, the presiding officer of the Senate is the President Pro Tempore (temporary President) The House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders attempt to carry out the policy decisions made by their party and try get bills passed that will support their party’s points of view. The House and Senate Majority and Minority Whips are responsible for keeping track of who is going to vote “yes” or “no” on the various bills. The “seniority rule” usually means the more experienced members hold more powerful positions in Congress, but recently both parties have used secret ballots to fill some positions.

CH 12 Section 2 Part B 1.Report bill favorably as is If committee wants the bill to pass 2.Refuse to report the bill as is If committee does not want the bill to pass 3.Report the bill in amended form If the committee thinks the bill is good but needs to be changed in some way 4.Report the bill unfavorably If the committee does not want the bill to pass but does not want to be responsible for killing it or wants the floor to hear/debate it. 5.Report a (new) committee bill If none of the proposed bills on this topic were adequate.

II. C. Types of Committees in Congress The most common type of committee is the “standing committee”. Standing committees are permanent committees in both the House and the Senate that specialize in a particular area of American society—Education, Banking, Health Care, Military, Agriculture, etc. Standing Committees are the work horses of Congress. They conduct hearings, debate and amend bills, and decide which bills will be heard on the House and Senate floor. Standing Committees are also divided into subcommittees who do the work. Joint Committees are made up of members from both the House and the Senate. Some Joint Committees are temporary but most are permanent and focus on specific topics Conference Committees are temporary and created to make sure the language in the House and Senate bills are identical. They turn two bills into one. Select Committees are temporary panels created for a specific purpose, such as an investigation or to provide oversight to agencies within the executive branch.

IV. Debate in the Senate Unlike the House, which has strict rules on how long members can speak before they have to sit down, the Senate allows for unlimited discussion/debate. This is right to debate without limit is a constitutional requirement. When a member of the Senate wishes to “talk a bill to death” they will “filibuster” that bill. The “cloture rule” was eventually introduced to limit debate, but it requires a 2/3 vote by the Senate to bring an end to debate and force a vote on the bill. During the Obama administration the use of filibusters became more the routine than the exception.

HOUSESENATE Shorter terms in office – 2 years Always introduces tax bills Committee Chairs greater power Complex rules Recreates itself each term (every member must seek reelection) Strict Limits on debate Speaker of the House has GREAT power No confirmation duties Impeachment power (charges) Longer terms in office – 6 years Not allowed to introduce tax bills Committee Chairs less power Informal rules Continuous body (only 1/3 must seek reelection—2/3 remain) Unlimited debate President Pro Tempore has little power (Majority Floor Leader=power) Confirms presidential appointments/nominations Tries impeachments (court)