Bellringer O How does the majority party have an advantage in the House above the sheer number advantage? O Think of at least 3 ways!

Congress 2 The Legislative Process

Today we will… Objectives Agenda O Explore the legislative process, including the role of committees O Discuss difference between the chambers that affect lawmaking O Slide/notes O Quiz O Homework: Set 3

How a Bill Becomes a Law The Legislative Process | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

Introduction of a Bill O Schoolhouse Rock- How a Bill Becomes a Law - YouTube Schoolhouse Rock- How a Bill Becomes a Law - YouTube O Public Law vs. Private Law O The bill can come from a variety of sources O Lawmakers O Individual citizens O Interest groups (represented by lobbyists) O Only a member of Congress can introduce the bill O Can start in the either the House or the Senate O Pending legislation does not carry over from one session of Congress to another.

The Bill is Assigned to Committee O Each chamber has standing committees to consider their bills O Edit the bill so it will pass on the floor = “Mark-up” O Specialization of comm. members O Hearings O Can “pigeonhole” or kill the bill in committee O Chamber rules define each committee’s jurisdiction, but the Speaker can sometimes make a choice O Multiple Referral vs. Sequential Referral

Check for understanding O When is a Discharge Petition used? O How does it work? (# of votes) O How frequent is it? O fix/wp/2013/06/29/the-discharge- petitions-role-in-immigration-reform- explained/ fix/wp/2013/06/29/the-discharge- petitions-role-in-immigration-reform- explained/

House Rules Committee O In the House, the bill must also pass through the House Rules Committee. O Put it on the schedule O Decide Rules of Debate O Closed Rule: sets time limit on debate and restricts amendments O Open Rule: permits amendments from the floor O Restrictive Rule: permits only some amendments

Floor Debate - House O Bills can be considered by the whole House at once = “Committee of the Whole” O What is a quorum? O What is a quorum call? O Floor consideration in the House may be governed by rules tailored to facilitate or slow a bill's progress O Votes are done electronically in the House = Roll-Call Vote

Floor Debate- Senate O Senate Majority Leader determines which bills are scheduled for debate and for how long. O Debate in the Senate is unlimited. O Bills are regularly subject to non-germane amendments or are filibustered (or threatened) in the Senate. O Filibusters can be used by minority to block bills. O 3/5 (60) of Senate must agree to end debate. O Rule 22/Cloture O What is double-tracking? O Mr. Smith Goes to Washington-Filibuster - YouTube Mr. Smith Goes to Washington-Filibuster - YouTube

House or Senate? O Amendments almost unlimited O Amendments must be germane O Debate is limited by rules O Rules Committee O Filibuster & Cloture

Both Houses Must Pass the Bill O A simple majority of both houses is needed to pass the bill – 51%

Check for understanding O How many House members needed to pass a bill? O How may Senators needed?

Differences Between Houses Must be Reconciled O Each house passes its own bill but differences must be ironed out and made into one bill. O Conference Committee – House & Senate members negotiate & compromise O Send combined bill back to both houses O Vote on the “conference report” O Accepted or Rejected – no amendments O Omnibus = bill that contains unrelated measures

Check for understanding O What type of committee is a conference committee?

Law-Making Process

Deal Making: getting people to vote for your bill O Riders = amendment on matter unrelated to bill so it will “ride” to passage O Christmas Tree Bill O Pork Barrel Legislation: bills that give tangible benefits (highways, dams, post offices) to constituents in the hope of winning their votes in return), “bring home the bacon” O Logrolling/Reciprocity: vote trading/exchanges, bargaining O Speeds process of legislation

Resolutions O Simple resolution: passed by one house for one house, not signed by the President, no force of law O Business of the House Business of the House O Opinion Opinion O Concurrent Resolution: passed by both houses, not signed by the President, no force of Law O S.Con.Res th Congress ( ): A concurrent resolution expressing support for designation of a "National Lao-Hmong Recognition Day". | Congress.gov | Library of Congress S.Con.Res th Congress ( ): A concurrent resolution expressing support for designation of a "National Lao-Hmong Recognition Day". | Congress.gov | Library of Congress O Joint Resolution: A law passed by both, signed by the President O Authorizing small appropriations O Temporary Commissions O Declaration of War

Differences Between House & Senate

Senate History O Escaped many of the tensions encountered by the House O Smaller chamber O In 1800s, balanced between slave and free states therefore, ideological balance O Size precluded need of a Rules Committee O No rules regarding debate, filibuster O Cloture, Rule 22 invokes cloture O 17 th Amendment: Previous to 1913, Senators elected by state legislatures which caused them to focus on jobs & contributions for their states

Check for understanding O What are some differences between House and Senate that make it likely that legislation will pass in one chamber and not the other? (12)

Reforms & Ethics

Regulating Our Lawmakers O Bipartisan Congressional Accountability Act 1995 O Question of Separation of Powers and executive oversight. O Obey laws, Civil Rights, equal pay, age discrimination, etc. O Ethics O Congressional misconduct O Current investigations Current investigations O Gingrich Gingrich

Congressional Pay O 1989, Automatic 2.2% COLA O Since 1990, congressional pay has increased from $98,400 to $154,700 in O cs/2013/08/15/congress-pay- salaries/ / cs/2013/08/15/congress-pay- salaries/ /

CLOSURE O Would you rather be a member of the House or the Senate? O What are two differences between the two houses that influence your choice? O What reforms you think should be made to Congress? (Question 13)

RQ Quiz – set 1 & 2 HW: Set 3