HOUSE of REPRESENTIVES

1-What are the House rules generally aimed at? Provide an example Defining the actions individual representatives can take: limiting representatives to speaking for five minutes or less during a debate

2-What are the complex rules in the House geared toward? Moving legislation quickly once it reaches the floor.

3-Where does most of the legislative activity occur? In the committees

4-Define: “constituents” the people in the districts House members represent

5-What is the importance of party affiliation in the House? Majority party selects the leaders. Majority party controls the flow of legislative work. Majority party appoints the chairs of all the committees

How Work Gets Done in the House of Representatives Responsibilities of House Leaders Speaker of the House Majority LeaderMinority LeaderWhips Decides which House members speak first. Helps plan the party’s legislative program Keep watch on how party members vote on important bills Appoints members of some committees Steers important bills through the House Makes sure committee chairpersons finish work on bills important to the party Persuade party members to vote as the party wishes Schedules House bills for action Makes sure committee chair persons finish work on bills important to the party Make sure that party members are present to vote Refers bills to the proper House Committee

Responsibilities of the House Rules Committee Enters major bills on House calendars Moves some bills ahead of others May include time limits for debate on a bill Specifies how much a bill may be changed or amended Settles disputes among House Committees Delays/blocks bills that leaders do not want to be voted on

HOUSE MEMBER’S BILL 1-Member drops bill into hopper 2-Speaker sends bill to appropriate committee for study 3-Bill is put onto the appropriate House Calendar 6-Bill goes to the floor of House for debate, amending and vote 5-Bill goes to Rules Committee 4-Bill is put onto a Discharge Calendar to force it out of committee

What is a “quorum”? The minimum number of members needed for official legislative action. Regular session: majority: 218 members To meet to debate and amend legislation, it often sits as a Committee of the Whole: 100 members Helps consideration of important bills, but Committee of the Whole cannot pass a bill: it reports the measure back to the full House with any revisions it makes. The House then passes/rejects the bill.