Congress Chapter 11

The Representatives & Senators $175,000/yrHouse & Senate $223,000/yrSpeaker & V.P. $193,400/yrPresident Pro Tem/ Majority & Minority  Non-Salary: “Fringe Benefits” Tax deductions Travel allowances Health & Life insurance Retirement plan Allowances for offices and staff Franking privilege – mail postage-free Free printing Free from arrest while in session (Excluding cases of treason and felony) Avg. cost per citizen = hamburger, fries, & a Coke

The Representatives & Senators  Characteristics of Members of Congress NOT a cross section of the American people  White, male, mid-60’s  94/538 – Women*  43/538 – African American*  28/538 – Hispanic*  9/538 – Asian*  Most are lawyers; 72% have college degrees  Upper-middle class hard-working Americans (Typical Schedule 8:00am, 9:30pm) * According to the statistics for the 111 th Congress

Why Bicameral?  A Bicameral Congress – 2 House Legislature 1. Historical: Most of the Framers of the Constitution were already familiar with the British Parliament (2 Houses: House of Lords & House of Commons) 2. Practical: fair and equal representation in both houses of Congress 3. Theoretical: in hopes that one house might act as a check on the other

Terms & Sessions  Terms of Congress – 2 years Start Date: January 3rd of odd-numbered years  Sessions – period of time in which congress assembles and conducts business 2 Sessions for every term Adjourning a session can be done by both houses or the president Special Sessions: called in case of an emergency

Congress 1.Larger bodySmaller body 2.Shorter termLonger term 3.Smaller Larger constituencies constituencies 4.Younger Older membership membership The House of Representatives The Senate

5.Less prestige More prestige 6.Lower visibility Higher visibility in in the news mediathe news media 7.Strict rules, Flexible rules, limited debatenearly unlimited debate 8.Most work is done Work is split more in committees, Not on evenly between the floor committees and the floor The House of Representatives The Senate

9.No power over Approves or rejects treaties and treaties and presidential appointments 10.Single-member At-large elections district elections The House of Representatives The Senate

Congressional Elections  Incumbents: those already holding office Incumbents usually win Easier for those in the House than the Senate – Why? Richard Luger Senator 1976 – Present Currently in 6th Terms Todd Rokita Representative Present Currently in 1stTerm

Advantages of Incumbents  Advertising Visibility is #1: visits home, ads, etc.  Credit Claiming Go to Constituents and stress policymaking record Servicing the Constituency through Case Work (“Cutting through the Red Tape”)  Pork Barrel: federal projects and grants available to cities, businesses, colleges and institutions

Advantages of Incumbents  Position Taking (more important in Senate Elections)  Weak Opponents

How is Congress Organized?  The Presiding Officers Speaker of the House: is both elected presiding officer of the House and the acknowledged leader of its majority party  Presides over every session of the House, or occasionally appoints a member as the temporary presiding officer  Follows the Vice President in the line of succession to the presidency

How is Congress Organized?  The President of the Senate = Vice President Constitution assigned the job – not chosen by a party Powers: recognize members, put questions to a vote, etc. Can NOT take the floor to speak or debate and may vote only to break a tie

How is Congress Organized?  President Pro Tempore serves in the Vice President’s absence Is elected by the Senate itself and is always a leading member of the majority party Follows the Speaker of the House in the line of presidential succession

How is Congress Organized?  The Floor Leaders Majority/Minority Floor Leaders The Majority Floor leader’s post is the more powerful in each house because they hold more seats (votes) than the other party Majority/Minority Whips: assistant floor leaders

How is Congress Organized?  Committee Chairmen: those members that head the standing committees in each chamber  Seniority Rule Unwritten custom Head of each committee is almost always the longest-serving majority party member of that committee

Committees in Congress  The Role of Committees Committee Assignments  House: 19, 9 – 75 members in each  Senate: 17, 12 – 28 members in each  Representatives are usually assigned to one or two; Senators three or four  Bills receive their most thorough consideration while in committee

Committees in Congress  The House Rules Committee: “Traffic Cop” Every bill must be cleared by the Rules Committee  Select Committees: most are formed to investigate a current matter (Ex. Study of the Elderly, Covert operations in Iran, Spruce Budworm problem, etc.)  Joint & Conference Committees: One composed of members of both houses  Standing Committees: Separate subject- matter committees in each house of Congress that handle bills in different policy areas

How a Bill Becomes a Law  1st Step: Introduced, given a name and number (Ex. H.R or S. 210)  Bill in Committee Most bills introduced Congress are pigeonholed – die in committee  Introducing the Bill in the Senate Bill are introduced by Senators; Private citizens can create a bill (not introduce)  Rules for Debate The Filibuster  An attempt to “talk a bill to death;” stalling tactic to delay or prevent action on a measure  Cloture Rule: used to stop a filibuster (needs 3/5 vote to end it)

President’s Powers  The President may sign the bill, and it then becomes law (LAW)  The President may veto the bill. He will not sign and will attach a veto message to the bill. (NOT LAW, YET – Congress may get a combined 2/3 agreement – BECOMES LAW)  The President may allow the bill to become law without signing it – by not acting on it within 10 days, not counting Sundays, of receiving it. (LAW)  Pocket Veto: If Congress adjourns its session within 10 days of submitting a bill to the President, and the President does not act, the measure dies (NOT LAW)