Chapter 12: Congress in Action Jake Anderson, Kyle Burt, Austin Case, Brielle Jacob

Congress Organizes (Section 1) -Begins a new term every two years, on January 3rd of every odd-numbered year - Each new term follows the general election in November The Speaker of the House Usually the leader of the majority party, controls the agenda in the House of Representatives

Congress Organizes Cont. After the Speaker, the floor leaders and their whips in both houses are the most powerful members of Congress Committee chairmen, potent in their own domain, are chosen according to the seniority rule. The Senate is a continuous body, it has been organized without interruption since its first session in 1789

Committees in Congress (Section 2) standing committee- permanent committee in a legislative body to which bills is a specific subject-matter area are referred Each house committee has from 10 to 75 members and each senate committee has from 14 to 28 members Representatives are normally assigned to one or two standing committees and senators to three or four standing committees Most standing committees are divided into subcommittees, and each subcommittee is responsible for a particular slice of the committee’s overall workload

Committees in Congress (Cont.) The House Rules Committee can delay or speed up or even stop the House actions on a bill joint committee- one composed of members of both houses conference committee- temporary, joint body that is created to “iron” out the differences in the bill, its job is to produce a compromise bill that both houses will accept

How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House (Section 3) Many bills are born in standing committees of Congress. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives. Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills. Only members can introduce bills in the House. 2 types of bills: Public Bills- Apply to the nation as a whole. Private Bills- Apply to certain persons or places.

Clerk of the house numbers each Bill introduced and gives it a short title and brief summary. The bill is then entered into the House Journal and in the Congressional record for the day. Each Bill that is passed is given three readings along the legislative branch. 2nd reading comes during floor consideration. 3rd reading takes place just before the final vote on the measure. The three readings are intended to ensure careful consideration of bills.

Section 4: The Bill in the Senate Debating in the Senate is highly non-restricted (Talks can be extensive) Filibuster: An attempt to stall talks on a bill that the Senate minority does not wish to have the Senate take action upon

Section 4 (Continued) After both houses approve a bill, it must be signed by the president for it to pass The president can either: 1. Sign the bill and it passes into law 2. Refuse to sign it, which would be a veto

Quiz What is a filibuster? How often does Congress begin a new term? What year did Congress first convene? What’s the range of members in a House committee? Where must bills for raising revenue originate? What is a filibuster?

Answers: Every 2 years 1789 from 10 to 75 the House of Representatives When a Senator attempts to stop action on a bill by “talking it to death”