The Organization of Congress 113th Congress

How is Congress organized? Essential Question How is Congress organized?

What to write… Red = vocabulary to be defined Yellow goes on flow chart; duties or names

Congress Convenes Congress convenes every two years—on January 3 of every odd-numbered year. The House has formal organizational meetings at the beginning of each term to determine committee membership and standing officers. The Senate, because it is a continuous body, has fewer organizational issues to address at the start of each term. When Congress is organized, the President presents a State of the Union message to a joint session of Congress. This message, in which the President reports on the state of the nation as he sees it, is given annually.

113th Congress

House of Representatives

House of Representatives Title of Leader: Speaker of the House Name of Current Leader: John Boehner (R ) Ohio

The Speaker of the House Runs the proceedings in the House of Representatives, highest ranking member of Congress Is elected by the members of the House Acknowledged as the leader of its party

Duties of the Speaker of the House Calls for votes Names committee members Signs all House bills

The Party Caucus The party caucus is a closed meeting of the members of each party in each house which deals with matters of party organization.

Majority & Minority Parties Majority Party Minority Party The party having more members in a house. Democrats = Senate Repubicans = House The party having less members in a house. Republicans = Senate Democrats = House

Floor Leader: The top member of a party in a house of Congress Definitions Floor Leader: The top member of a party in a house of Congress Whip: assistant floor leader

Majority Floor Leader How Elected: Chosen by their party. Duties: Make bills Gather party support Speak for the party in House

Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives Republican Leader Eric Cantor – New York

Minority Floor Leaders How Elected: Chosen by their party colleagues. Duties: Same as Majority Floor Leader (just harder to accomplish)

Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives Democrat Leader: Nancy Pelosi - California

Majority Whip How Elected: Chosen by party caucus Duties: Pass out information & gather support for party bills

Minority Whip How Elected: Chosen by party caucus Duties: same as majority whip

The Senate

How are they chosen? Title of Leader: The President of the Senate Name of the Current Leader: Vice President is the President of the Senate Joe Biden How are they chosen? Senate does not choose its own leader – elected with President Is not a member of the body he represents Less powerful than the Speaker of the House

Duties of the President of the Senate Calls for votes May only vote to break a tie Not in the Senate daily

Title: President Pro Tempore leader of the Senate in the absence of the Vice President Patrick Leahy How are they chosen? Elected by the Senate Duties: Runs the Senate proceedings daily Follows the Speaker in the line of Presidential succession

Majority Floor Leader How Elected: Chosen by their party colleagues. Duties: Same as Majority Floor Leader in the House

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) - Nevada

Minority Floor Leader How Elected: Duties: Chosen by their party colleagues. Duties: Same as Majority Floor Leader (only more difficult to accomplish)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) - Kentucky

Pass out information & gather support for party bills Title: The Majority Whip How Elected: Chosen by their party caucus. Duties: Pass out information & gather support for party bills

Same as the majority whip Title: The Minority Whip How Elected: Chosen by their party caucus Duties: Same as the majority whip

Review 1. The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is (a) the President. (b) the Speaker of the House. (c) the majority whip. (d) the president pro tempore. 2. The party whips are responsible for all of the following EXCEPT (a) serving as a liaison between party leaders and rank-and-file members. (b) presiding over the House or Senate. (c) informing the floor leader of anticipated vote counts in key decisions. (d) seeing that all members of the party are present for important votes.