Congressional Committees

Recap Legislative Branch How many members are in the House of Representatives? How many members are in the Senate? What is the process called for Re-arranging districts every 10 years? What are some powers reserved specifically to the House of Representatives? What are some powers reserved specifically to the Senate?

" Congress in _________ is Congress on __________________, whilst Congress in its________________-rooms is Congress at ________.” - Woodrow Wilson

Legislative Committees: Function & Purpose 1. ______________________ (a.k.a. “___________” bills) A bill with a member’s mark-up notes

Legislative Committees: Function & Purpose 2. __________________________________ Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testifies before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing re: the Department of Defense Budget (May, 2006)

Legislative Committees: Function & Purpose 3. _______________________ New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagan testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Hurricane Katrina (Feb., 2006

Types of Committees  ________________________ - ________________ panel with ___________ legislative functions and oversight responsibilities –_______________– formed to tackle very __________ tasks within the jurisdiction of the full committees  ______________________ - groups appointed for a ___________ purpose and ______________ duration  _______________________ - includes members of _____ chambers to conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks  _______________________ - includes members of _________ & _____________ to work out differences between similar bills

Seniority Rule To get on a committee, the _______________ will be selected based on ______________. The ______________ serving members serve as _______________________, they are often the _________ powerful members in Congress Criticism: _______________________________ _______________________________________

Congressional Powers

Powers of Congress The _______________powers of _________ are listed in _________________ of the _____________________. These are the specific (___________) powers granted to Congress (____________ powers) Of the ____ powers given by Congress, ___ are related to the military.

The Power to _____ Congress shall have the power to lay and collect ________, duties, imposts and excises  Pay the _______  Provide for the _______________  And the ______________ of the U.S. ___________________ (1913): “The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on _______, from whatever source derived”

Power to ______ Money To ____________ money on the ________ of the United States This led to the creation of our ________________: all the money the U.S. has borrowed over the years and not yet paid back plus interest (____________) Today’s national debt is ______________ and rising There is _________________________, but there is a __________________ (law) set by Congress and raised every few years

_______________: allows Congress to regulate trade between states and other nations –______ includes ______________ –Congress can tax ____________ –Congress _________ tax ________ Commerce Power

Naturalization and Bankruptcy __________________: to regulate the process of how _____________ become a ____ citizen __________________: to regulate the process of how the bankrupt person’s ________ are distributed among those to who a debt is owed

Currency and Counterfeiting _______________: to _______ and _______ money and regulate the value of that money - Federal Reservehttps:// _________________: the crime of a person __________ or __________ their own money (federal offense)

Postal Power _______________: to establish a _________ _______and post roads (to regulate the mail) Federal crime to _______ with mail, _______ mail, or send certain items through the mail

Patents and Copyrights _________: grants a person the sole right to manufacture, use, or sell any new and useful art, machine, manufacture, or composition Patent may last up to 20 years _______________: the ____________ right of an author to reproduce, publish, and sell his or her _______ work (last the life of the author + _____ years)

Federal Courts Congress has the power to create inferior ___________ courts (courts below the US Supreme Court) _____________

Piracies and International Law Power to define and punish ______________ and __________ committed on the high seas And offenses against the laws of Nations (_____________________) Somalian Pirates

Congressional Military Powers 1._________ Congress has the power to _______ ________. It also makes laws regarding ______________________. 2.Raise and support _______ 3.Provide and maintain a ______ 4.Make rules for the ________________________ ______________________________________ 5. Calling forth of the ___________, which is known as the ___________________ today. 6. To provide for the ________________ _____________________________.

Federal Land and D.C. Create and pass _______ that regulate our Nation’s Capital: _________________ (District of Columbia) Pass laws that regulate all _____________ property and land to include ____________________ ______________________: power to take _______ property for ____________ use (must pay just _____________________) 5 th Amendment

Implied Powers _________________________ (Article I, Section 8, Clause 18) Congress has the power to “make ______ laws which shall be _____________ and _____________ for carrying into execution the foregoing powers and all other powers vested by this _____________…” also called the Elastic Clause (Created ___________________)

Examples Expressed Power: _________________ Implied Power: Establish a ___________ to raise and Army Implied Power: Develop new armored tanks Implied Power: _____________ military bases Expressed Power: ______________________ Implied Power: Establish the IRS (____________________) Implied Power: Establish a ______________________ Implied Power: Punish those who fail to pay their taxes Expressed Power: _______________________ Implied Power: Prohibit the __________ of certain goods Implied Power: Prohibit the ____________ of certain goods