The Congressional Players Leadership and Committees

Congressional Leadership Organized strictly by party Organized strictly by party Majority Party holds the highest number of seats Majority Party holds the highest number of seats Minority Party holds fewer seats Minority Party holds fewer seats 112 th Congress 112 th Congress House: 240 (R) 190 (D) 5 vacancies House: 240 (R) 190 (D) 5 vacancies Senate: 47 (R) 51 (D) 2 independents Senate: 47 (R) 51 (D) 2 independents

Congressional Leadership in the House of Representatives Speaker of the House of Speaker of the House of Representatives Representatives Most influential Most influential Gives floor to members who Gives floor to members who wish to speak wish to speak Controls floor debates Controls floor debates Controls flow of legislation Controls flow of legislation Assigns legislation to committees Assigns legislation to committees Helps appoint committee Helps appoint committee members and other John Boehner members and other John Boehner leaders from his/her (Ohio-R) leaders from his/her (Ohio-R) party Number 2 in Presidential succession, after the V-Pres party Number 2 in Presidential succession, after the V-Pres

Congressional Leadership in the House of Representatives Majority Floor Leader Majority Floor Leader Assistant to the Speaker Assistant to the Speaker Second most influential position in the House Second most influential position in the House Minority Floor Leader Minority party’s chief spokesperson Minority party’s chief spokesperson Party Whips Monitor and influence how his or her party’s members vote on legislation Monitor and influence how his or her party’s members vote on legislation

House of Representatives Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Virginia-R) House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Nancy Pelosi (California-D) (California-D)

House of Representatives Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (California-R) House of Representative Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Maryland-D)

Congressional Leadership in the Senate Senate Leaders Senate Leaders Vice President Vice President Presiding officer Presiding officer Breaks tie votes Breaks tie votes President pro tempore President pro tempore Formal head of the Formal head of the Senate Senate More honorific More honorific Person in the majority Person in the majority party who has been President pro tem party who has been President pro tem in the Senate longest Daniel Inouye in the Senate longest Daniel Inouye Signs all bills before they (Hawaii-D) Signs all bills before they (Hawaii-D) go to the President elected to 9 terms go to the President elected to 9 terms

Congressional Leadership in the Senate With lack of formality, leadership is not as important as in the House More power is given to senators as individuals than to groups Party leaders still work to gather votes, schedule actions, and influence committee assignments

Senate Senate Majority Leader Majority Leader Harry Reid Harry Reid (Nevada-D) (Nevada-D) Senate Senate Minority Leader Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Mitch McConnell (Kentucky-R) (Kentucky-R)

Senate Senate Minority Whip Minority Whip John Kyl John Kyl (Arizona-R) (Arizona-R) Senate Senate Majority Whip Majority Whip Richard Durbin Richard Durbin (Illinois-D) (Illinois-D)

Types of Committees Standing Committees: Standing Committees: Permanent Permanent Deal with broad areas of legislation Deal with broad areas of legislation Trade, foreign policy, finance, agriculture, veterans Trade, foreign policy, finance, agriculture, veterans Bills are referred to a standing committee Bills are referred to a standing committee Do most of the work Do most of the work House has 19 committees with an average membership of House has 19 committees with an average membership of 31 members 31 members Senate has 16 committees with range of membership from Senate has 16 committees with range of membership from 16 to 29 members 16 to 29 members

Subcommittees Subcommittees Smaller, specialized bodies Smaller, specialized bodies Health, social security, oversight, human resources Health, social security, oversight, human resources Create from the standing committees Create from the standing committees For Example… House Committee on Energy and Commerce House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittees are… Subcommittees are… 1. Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection 1. Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection 2. Energy & Air Quality 2. Energy & Air Quality 3. Health 3. Health 4. Oversight & Investigations 4. Oversight & Investigations 5. Telecommunications & the Internet 5. Telecommunications & the Internet 6. Environment & Hazardous Materials 6. Environment & Hazardous Materials

Select or Special Committees Temporary Temporary Study one specific issue Study one specific issue Often used for investigations… Watergate Often used for investigations… Watergate Report to the House or the Senate Report to the House or the Senate Joint Committees Include members of both the House and the Senate Include members of both the House and the Senate More efficient/expedient More efficient/expedient Study broad policy issues Study broad policy issues Can be standing or select Can be standing or select Cannot deal directly with bills or propose legislation Cannot deal directly with bills or propose legislation In the House there are two joint committees… In the House there are two joint committees… 1. Joint Economic Committee 1. Joint Economic Committee 2. Joint Committee on Taxation 2. Joint Committee on Taxation

Conference Committee Temporary Temporary Appointed to make bills passed by both bodies identical Appointed to make bills passed by both bodies identical Work on major issues of disagreement between the House Work on major issues of disagreement between the House & Senate & Senate Consists of members from the original committees that Consists of members from the original committees that considered the bill considered the bill

Committee Assignments Committee chairs Committee chairs Hold a great deal of power Hold a great deal of power Always belong to the majority party Always belong to the majority party Elected by members of the majority party Elected by members of the majority party Committee membership Committee membership Based on what committee could help bring the most money and resources to their home district or state Based on what committee could help bring the most money and resources to their home district or state

Rules Committee Standing Committee Standing Committee Only in the House Only in the House Most important; works with Speaker Most important; works with Speaker Creates the calendar Creates the calendar Schedules debate on bills; can kill any bill by not putting it on the calendar Schedules debate on bills; can kill any bill by not putting it on the calendar Settles disputes among other House committees Settles disputes among other House committees

Ways & Means Committee Very powerful, because it writes bills concerning raising revenues, especially taxes and tariffs Very powerful, because it writes bills concerning raising revenues, especially taxes and tariffs Also concerned with Social Security, unemployment & Medicare Also concerned with Social Security, unemployment & Medicare And concerned with child welfare, adoption and foster care programs And concerned with child welfare, adoption and foster care programs Members of this committee cannot be members of other committees without a waiver from their party leadership Members of this committee cannot be members of other committees without a waiver from their party leadership Exists only in the House, because the Constitution says that all money bills must begin in the House (Art. 1) Exists only in the House, because the Constitution says that all money bills must begin in the House (Art. 1) House members value membership on this committee because of the wide range of bills that come to this committee House members value membership on this committee because of the wide range of bills that come to this committee Examples include welfare reform, tax cuts, NAFTA, Social Security reform, CAFTA, Medicare prescription drug benefit Examples include welfare reform, tax cuts, NAFTA, Social Security reform, CAFTA, Medicare prescription drug benefit

Caucuses… Informal Committees An informal means of organizing An informal means of organizing Often based on friendship, geography, demographics Often based on friendship, geography, demographics Goal is to promote interests of its members Goal is to promote interests of its members Sometimes they form to focus on issues that overlap committees Sometimes they form to focus on issues that overlap committees Often have links to interest groups Often have links to interest groups By being members of Congress, they serve as more powerful special interest groups By being members of Congress, they serve as more powerful special interest groups Often criticized as undermining the party system Often criticized as undermining the party system More than 200 caucuses in Congress; can range in size from a few members to over 100 members More than 200 caucuses in Congress; can range in size from a few members to over 100 members Some are single party, such as the Democratic Caucus or Republican Caucus Some are single party, such as the Democratic Caucus or Republican Caucus Some are bi-partisan, such as the Sudan Caucus & Human Rights Caucus Some are bi-partisan, such as the Sudan Caucus & Human Rights Caucus The Blue Dog Caucus… 44 moderate & conservative Democrats who usually vote together; 7 of their members is on the Appropriations Committee The Blue Dog Caucus… 44 moderate & conservative Democrats who usually vote together; 7 of their members is on the Appropriations Committee

Iron Triangles or Subgovernments Have a lot of control over specific policy issues Have a lot of control over specific policy issues Triangle has three parts! Triangle has three parts! Members of the Congressional Committee or Subcommittee Members of the Congressional Committee or Subcommittee Leaders of interest group Leaders of interest group Bureaucratic agency that administers policy Bureaucratic agency that administers policy Goal… protect their self interest Goal… protect their self interest Keep their budgets growing Keep their budgets growing Congressional members of committees want re-election Congressional members of committees want re-election Example… Tobacco Example… Tobacco Interest group… Tobacco Institute & tobacco growers Interest group… Tobacco Institute & tobacco growers Committee… Agriculture; in House and Senate Committee… Agriculture; in House and Senate Bureaucracy… Cabinet Dept of Agriculture agencies Bureaucracy… Cabinet Dept of Agriculture agencies