Leadership in Congress

Leadership in Congress Speaker of the House Presiding officer in the House / Most powerful person Chosen by majority party / Leader of the majority party Recognizes members Appoints members to committees Schedules bills and refers bills to committees Vice-President Presiding officer in the Senate Only votes to break ties

Leadership in Congress President Pro Tempore Presides over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President Majority Floor Leader Help plan the party’s legislative program Steers important bills Most powerful person in the Senate Elected by their party Whip Assist the floor leaders by making sure party members are there for key votes Keep their finger on the “pulse” of their party members’ views

House of Representatives Leadership Structure House of Representatives Senate Committee Chairs Speaker Vice-Pres Pres. Pro-Temp Maj. Floor Leader Min. Floor Leader Maj. Floor Leader Min. Floor Leader Majority Whip Majority Whip Minority Whip Minority Whip

Congressional Committees

"Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.” - Woodrow Wilson (1885)

Congressional Committees: Function & Purpose Senate Judiciary Committee drafts the USA PATRIOT Act Senate Judiciary Committee drafts the USA PATRIOT Act Congressional Committees: Function & Purpose #1: Consider Bills (“mark-up” bills) #2: Oversight of Executive Agencies #3: Conduct Investigations Senate Judiciary Committee drafts the PATRIOT Act Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee investigates the failures of government response before, during and after Hurricane Katrina House Armed Services Committee considers funding for the Iraq War

Types of Committees Standing Committee Permanent committees Chaired by a member of the majority party Majority of members on the committee belong to the majority party full legislative functions and oversight responsibilities Examples: Appropriations – charged with setting specific expenditures for the federal government Ways & Means – jurisdiction over all taxes, tariffs and revenue raising measures Judiciary – conducts hearings and makes confirmation recommendations to the full Senate re: presidential appointments to the federal bench

Types of Committees Subcommittee Sub-category of a standing committee Formed to tackle very specific tasks within the jurisdiction of the full committees Examples: National Parks Subcommittee (Energy & Natural Resources Committee) Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Subcommittee (Agriculture Committee) Early Childhood, Elementary & Secondary Education Subcommittee (Education & Labor Committee)

Types of Committees Select Committee Temporary/limited duration Study one specific issue (hunger, problems of interest groups, etc.) Examples: Select Committee on Ethics Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming

Types of Committees Joint Committee May be temporary or permanent Made up of members from House and Senate conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks Examples: Joint Economic Committee Joint Committee on Printing Joint Committee on Taxation

Types of Committees Conference Committee Includes members of House & Senate Sole purpose: to work out differences between similar bills