Review 1.What are the responsibilities of the whips? 2.Why does the Vice President not participate in debate in Congress? Why does he only vote if there is a tie? 3.Why would a conference committee be formed? Who would comprise the committee?

Ch 6 and 7 Powers of Congress How a Bill Becomes a Law

Legislative Powers Taxing and Spending Power –Revenue bills (House only) – raising money - Ways and Means committee - –Appropriations bills – spending money

Legislative Powers Other Money Powers –Borrow money –Sale of government securities (bonds) –Coin money and regulate its value –Laws concerning bankruptcy - determine assets of person/business

Legislative Powers Commerce Power –Regulate foreign commerce –Regulate interstate commerce – trade b/w states - Commerce ex:  broadcasting, pollution, banking Foreign Policy Powers –Declare war –Create and maintain military

Legislative Powers Providing for the Nation’s Growth –Naturalization – process for immigrants → citizens –Admit new states –Pass laws for territories –Pass laws to govern federal property

Legislative Powers Other Legislative Powers –Copyrights (lifetime of creator + 50 yrs.) –Patents (17 years, renewable) –Establish post offices and federal courts

Non-legislative Powers of Congress Power to Choose the President – If no candidate receives the majority needed to win the House chooses the President from three top vote getters; Each state gets one vote Happened 2 times – 1800 – Thomas Jefferson – 1824 – John Quincy Adams – Senate chooses the VP Possible to have a president and vice president from different parties 25

Non-legislative Powers of Congress Removal Power – Impeachment – formal accusation of misconduct in office – Majority of House to impeach – Senate conducts a trial – Chief Justice presides – 2/3 of Senators present to convict and remove – Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton have been impeached 26 m/watch?v=UEmjwR0Rs2 0 e.com/watch?v=VBe _guezGGc#aid=P9Ns njWefeA

Non-legislative Powers of Congress Confirmation Power – Approve presidential appointments Ratification Power – Senate ratifies treaties Amendment Power – Shared with state legislatures – Amendment proposed with a 2/3 vote of both houses 27

Investigative Powers of Congress Investigations – Committees can hold investigations Power to subpoena – Legal order that a person appear or produce documents Perjury – Congress can require a person to testify under oath – Perjury is lying under oath 28

Investigative Powers Contempt – Witnesses who refuse to testify, produce documents, or otherwise do not cooperate Immunity – Freedom from prosecution for witnesses whose testimony links them to illegal activities 29

Question What does it mean if something is implied?

Congressional Powers Expressed – written in the Constitution as a power of Congress Implied – powers Congress has based on the expressed powers; needed to carry out expressed Ex: Expressed power - declare war Implied power – institute draft to raise an army

Powers of Congress Denied Powers - Congress CANNOT – Suspend Writ of habeas corpus –person accused of a crime must be brought to court to determine if they have been legally detained – Pass Bills of attainder – laws that establish guilt or punishment without a trial – Pass Ex post facto laws – laws that make crimes of acts that were legal when they were committed 30

Congressional Legislative Oversight Legislative Oversight –review how executive branch carries out laws Checks and balances at work Congressional support agencies Library of Congress Congressional Budget Office (CBO) – finance experts General Accounting Office (GAO) – check spending Government Printing Office (GPO) – Congress’ record 31

Congress and the President Things that prevent President and Congress from working together smoothly Party politics- flow of legislation affected by party in power, Congress and White House; different agendas and timetables Organization- can impede President - Procedural rules, committee structure 32

Congress and the President Laws related to checks and balances 1974 Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act- President cannot refuse to spend $ (impoundment) that Congress has voted to fund unless both houses of Congress agree with request Legislative veto- review/cancel acts of executive branch; declared unconstitutional 1983 Line-item veto- declared unconstitutional 1998

Review Questions 1.What is an implied power? 2.How does party politics effect the flow of legislation through Congress to the President? 3.What are ex post facto laws?

Chapter 7- Congress at Work

Congress at Work How a Bill Becomes a Law Types of Bills and Resolutions – Private Bills – deal with individual people or places Ex: armed service decorations – Public Bills - deal with the entire nation – Simple Resolution – deal with unusual or temporary matter, one house only, not sent to president Rules for how chamber operates

Congress at Work How a Bill Becomes a Law Types of Bills and Resolutions Continued – Joint resolutions – passed by both houses and a presidential signature gives it the force of law – Concurrent Resolutions – requires action of both houses when a law is not needed Awards, recognition – Riders – provision on a subject other than the one covered on a bill

Congress at Work How a Bill Becomes a Law Only about 10% of bills become laws – Why Process is long and complicated (over 100 steps) Sponsors must be willing to bargain and compromise Introduction of bills that members know will not become laws

Congress at Work How a Bill Becomes a Law Introducing a Bill – Idea for a new bill – Members of Congress introduce new bills Drop in hopper (HOR only) Presiding officer recognizes a Senator – Bills are printed, distributed, and introduced (first reading)

Congress at Work How a Bill Becomes a Law Committee Action – Bills are sent to committee – Bills can be ignored and left to “die”, this is known as pigeonholing – Kill by majority vote – When committees accept a bill, it can be rewritten, amended, or recommended for adoption.

Congress at Work How a Bill Becomes a Law Committee Hearings – Listen to testimony of witness including experts on the subject of the bill, government officials, or special interest groups – Used to gather information – Can be used to influence committee or public opinion

Congress at Work How a Bill Becomes a Law Markup Sessions – Decide what changes need to be made, if any – Majority vote of committee is needed to make changes to a bill Reporting a bill – Send to House or Senate for action with a written report

Congress at Work How a Bill Becomes a Law Floor Action – Debating and amending – Voting Quorum needed – majority of members Majority of quorum to approve Ways of voting – Voice Vote – Standing Vote (Division Vote) – Roll-call vote – Recorded Vote – electronic, displayed (House only)

Congress at Work How a Bill Becomes a Law Final Steps – Conference Committee Action – work out differences between the two houses – Try to reach compromise – Create a final bill called a conference report – The bill then must be submitted to each house of Congress for final action.

Congress at Work How a Bill Becomes a Law Presidential Actions – Signature – Bill becomes a law – 10 days if Congress is in session with no presidential signature becomes a law – Veto – rejection of a bill Pocket Veto – refuse to act on a bill passed during the last 10 days Congress in session Congressional Override – 2/3 vote Registering Laws – With National Archives and Records Service Labeled Public or Private

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Legislative Branch Key Terms Ways and Means Committee (House) – works on tax laws Authorization bills – sets up a federal programs and decides how much money to spend on the program Appropriations bills- provides the money needed to carry out the many laws Congress passes Entitlements – expenditures for social programs that continue from year to year Lobbyists – representatives from special interest groups

Legislative Branch Key Terms Lobbying – efforts to persuade officials to support a point of view PACs – Political Action Committees – political fund-raising organizations Influence of voters- meet with rep., letters, phone calls, surveys, polls, workers Casework – helping constituents with problems Public works bills – deal with local projects Pork-barrel legislation – laws to appropriate money for local federal projects Log-rolling- agreement between two or more lawmakers to support each other’s bills