Chapter 12 section 1: Congress Organizes Big Idea: Congress carefully organizes itself to get its complex job done.
Vocabulary Speaker of the House President of the Senate President pro tempore Floor leaders Party caucuses Whips Committee chairmen Seniority rule
Notes How does Congress convene? (House and Senate) When does Congress convene? What are the roles of the presiding officers in the Senate and the House? What are the duties of Party officers in Congress? How are the Committee chairmen chosen?
Chapter 12 Section 2: Committees in Congress Big Idea: The Senate and House both divide into committees to manage their business and decide which bills will receive attention.
Vocabulary Standing Committees Select Committees Joint committees Conference committees
Notes How do standing committees function? What are the duties and responsibilities of the House Rules Committee? Compare and Contrast the functions of Joint and Conference Committees?
Chapter 12 section 3: How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House Big Idea: A bill must move through reviews and committee hearings before it reaches the House floor; if passed, it moves to the Senate
Vocabulary Bill Joint resolution Concurrent resolution Resolution Rider Discharge petition Subcommittee Committee of the Whole Quorum engrossed
notes What are the first steps in the introduction of a bill to the House? What happens to a bill once it is referred to a committee? How do House leaders schedule debate on a bill? List and describe the 4 methods used by the House to take floor votes: What happens in the final steps once a bill has been passed?
Chapter 12 Section 4: The Bill in the Senate Big Idea: Although the law-making process in the Senate is much like that in the House, debate in the Senate is largely unrestricted
Vocabulary Filibuster Cloture Veto Pocket veto
notes How is a bill introduced in the Senate? How are Senate’s rules for debate different than those for the House? What role do conference committees play in the lawmaking process? What actions can the President take after both houses have passed a bill?