Chapter 12: Congress in Action

Section 1: Congress Organizes

Congress Convenes Opening Day in the House Opening Day in the Senate Opening day of the new term-20th Amendment More Formal then the Senate Choose a Speaker All 435 members are sworn in Committee Assignments are made Opening Day in the Senate Less formal than the House/Short,routine day newly elected and reelected members are sworn in Committee assignments are made

State of the Union Address Constitutionally mandated speech In late Jan, after House and the Senate are organized Presented before a joint session of Congress Important speech, domestically and worldwide Administration’s goals and plans for the upcoming year – both domestically and Foreign policy As detailed or general as the President decides Legislative goals and needs may be presented

The Presiding Officers House of Representatives Senate Speaker of the House Majority Floor Leader Majority Whip Minority Floor Leader Minority Whip President pro tempore President of Senate Majority Floor Leader Majority Whip Minority Floor Leader Minority Whip

The Presiding Officers Speaker of the House Elected by the House of Representatives Member of the majority party in the House/nothing in the constitution says she/he must be Presides over the House He/She can vote, debate bills in the House Assigns bills to committee Assigns members to committee Very powerful position,- 2nd in line for Presidency

Presiding Officers President of the Senate Vice President – one of his constitutional duties – he/she is part of the executive branch Not a member of the Senate as a presiding officer, less powerful than the Speaker May not vote, except to break a tie President pro tempore -elected by the senate Joe Biden -takes the place of the Pres. of the Senate when he is unavailable -is a member of the majority party in the Senate Dan Inouye

Floor Leaders Try to carry out the decisions of their party caucuses and steer floor activity to their parties benefit Controls the order of business on the floor Devise legislative strategies tradition – not in the Constitution

Whips Floor leader assistants Advise them and organize votes on each issue Tell floor leaders which members and how many votes can be counted on Senate whips House whips McCarthy-CA-22 Hoyer- MD-5 Durbin-IL Kyl-AZ

Do Now!! Majority Party Power 1. Now that you understand the leadership positions in Congress, what are some of the powers that the majority party has? 2. Identify 4 qualifications of either a Representative to the House or the Senate. appoint speaker of house Who subsequently calls the shots by applying rules, referring bills to committees, names members of select and joint committees, etc. appoint president pro temp appoint committee chairmen Most work is done in committee therefore the power to control who leads the committee effects what will be done within the committee

Committee Chairpersons Committee Chairpersons decide when their committees will meet which bills they will consider, whether they will hold public hearings, what witnesses to call are members of the majority party

Committee Chairpersons (Con’t) Seniority Rule The unwritten custom length of service Criticism of the Seniority Rule Critics ignores ability, discourages young members, and encourages constant reelection Defenders ensures experience in key posts and minimizes conflict within the party - Recent changes - House Republican Conference (Party Caucus) chooses chairpersons through secret ballot

Committee Chairpersons (Con’t) - Democrats in House use secret ballot if 20% of the House Democratic Caucus requests it - House Republicans adopted a party rule that limits GOP chairpersons to 6 years (3 terms)

Committees in Congress Section 2

Committee Chairpersons Committee Chairpersons decide when their committees will meet which bills they will consider, whether they will hold public hearings, what witnesses to call are members of the majority party

Committee Chairpersons (Con’t) Seniority Rule The unwritten custom length of service Criticism of the Seniority Rule Critics ignores ability, discourages young members, and encourages constant reelection Defenders ensures experience in key posts and minimizes conflict within the party - Recent changes - House Republican Conference (Party Caucus) chooses chairpersons through secret ballot

Committee Chairpersons (Con’t) - Democrats in House use secret ballot if 20% of the House Democratic Caucus requests it - House Republicans adopted a party rule that limits GOP chairpersons to 6 years (3 terms)

Committees in Congress Types of Committees 1. Standing 2. Select 3. Joint-Standing 4. Joint-Select (Conference)

Standing Committees Congress does much of its work in committees Standing committees are the permanent committees in both chambers/houses of Congress Senate has 17 standing committees House has 20 standing committees other types of committees select–special joint–usually permanent conference–temporary

The House Rules Committee Committee manages the flow of bills for action by the full House by scheduling their consideration When they will be heard Debate rules Can speed, delay, or even prevent legislation They cannot change the wording of the legislation “traffic cop” of the lower House

Select Committees Special groups set up for specific purposes and for a limited period Members are appointed by the Speaker or the President of the Senate Occasionally, a select committee conducts especially important investigations Senate Watergate Committee in 1973 (Nixon) Iran Contra Hearings in 1987 (Reagan) Whitewater Investigation in 1994 (Clinton)

Joint Committees Committee composed of members from both the House of Representatives and the Senate Deal with issues of common concern Some are permanent Standing committees on The Library, Taxation, Economic, and Printing

Conference Committee Is a select joint committee Made up of members of the House and Senate to work out a compromise bill They disband after that piece of legislation goes back to the House and Senate floors Also known as the “third house of congress”

How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House Section 3 How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House

Creating and Introducing Bills Most bills do not originate with members of Congress Executive Branch special interest groups/lobbyists private citizens All revenue-raising bills begin in the House All other bills may be introduced in either chamber, or both House and the Senate at the same time In a term of Congress (2 years) 10,000 bills may be introduced – maybe 500 will become law

Types of Bills and Resolutions proposed laws presented to Congress Public bills private bills Joint Resolutions deal with temporary or unusual matters must be passed by both houses must be signed by the President Concurrent Resolutions deal with common concerns of both houses do not require the President’s signature Resolutions deal with matters concerning either house alone house rules do not require the President’s signature.

The First Reading The bill is sent to the Clerks desk where it is printed and numbered If it originates in the House it begins with “HR123” If it originates in the Senate, it begins with “S 123” The Speaker then refers the bill to the appropriate standing committee for consideration A bill has three readings in the House of Reps.

The Bill In Committee The bill will be read by the full standing committee, they may amend, keep as it is, or “pigeonhole”it Most bills die in committee If a majority of the committee votes to continue, they could recommend the bill to subcommittee Subcommittee Investigates, debates, holds hearings and recommends the fate of bills Measure returns to the full committee Full Committee can take the recommendation, amend the recommendations or kill the bill If a bill passes in committee, it has a good chance of passing the full House of Representatives Committee sends bill to “Rules Committee”

Rules Committee “traffic cop”of the House Of Representatives 13 member committee is very powerful Can attach debate rules that make it very easy for a bill to pass, or difficult to pass If it is to be assigned “Committee of the Whole” is assigned here

Committee of the Whole Only in the House of Representatives Designed to speed up legislation on a bill, takes place on the floor of the House – Floor becomes a large committee Speaker Steps down, committee chair takes over Full House convenes into Com. Of the Whole It reviews, discusses, amends the legislation When completed, the floor returns to normal, Speaker resumes his role Quorum of 100

The Bill on the Floor & Final Steps Quorum in the House is 218 members Second Reading Important bills The Committee of the Whole Debate Strict rules As assigned by the Rules Committee

Voting on the Floor There are four ways a vote may be taken on the Floor of the House of Representatives Voice votes Standing votes Teller votes Roll-call vote

Final Steps in the House of Representatives If the bill is voted upon and passed, then it is read a third time Bill is voted on again by the full House Bill is then signed by the Speaker of the House Bill is now sent to the Senate

Discharge Petition Remove a bill from the standing committee “Pigeon holed” or killed by the committee Rest of the House wants to act on it Petition signed by 218 members to remove the bill from committee onto the floor for action Rarely happens

The Bill in the Senate and the Final Stages Section 4 The Bill in the Senate and the Final Stages

Introducing the Bill in the Senate Bills are referred to committee Senate proceedings are less formal There is not a “Rules Committee” Called to the floor by the majority floor leader Quorum in the Senate is 51

The Senate’s Rules for Debate Floor debate is almost unlimited in the Senate The Filibuster Used by the minority to “talk a bill to death” on the Senate floor The Cloture Rule check on the filibuster and limits debate requires a petition signed by at least 16 senators approval by at least three-fifths (60) senators

Voting in the Senate Voice vote, or Standing vote, or Roll Call vote The Senate does not have electronic voting

Conference Committee House and Senate bills differ (Sometimes called the “the third house of congress”) House and Senate bills differ A bill passes both houses, the intent is there but it is not identical Joint conference committee is created to develop a compromised bill Revised bill must go back to the floor of both houses to be voted upon Then to the President

Presidential Action The President may: Sign the bill Veto it Congress may override the veto with 2/3 vote of the House and 2/3 vote of the Senate Pocket veto the bill Allow the bill to become law by not acting on it within 10 days of receiving it