1. Chapter 12 – How Congress Functions

2. Before Every 2-year Term of Congress Party Caucus Meets Majority party selects the Speaker of the House Majority party selects all of the committee chairs Both parties decide who will serve on each committee Broad policy and strategies are decided Both part caucuses select floor leaders and whips Example: 2008 Dems had a 60/40 advantage in the Senate – the Dem caucus chose every Senate committee chair and the Dems had 60% of seats on every committee

3. Specialty Caucuses Also Meet No Formal Role Women’s Policy Inc Hispanic Caucus – Tea Party below

4. Proliferation of Specialty Caucuses Power decentralized Party control weakened

5. Beginning a new session of Congress Clerk convenes Speaker formally voted in New members sworn in Senate is a “continuous body” House Beginning 2/3rds of the Senate are prior members

6. Speaker notifies the president that Congress is ready for the State of the Union

7. State of the Union Speech Once per year – January Joint session of Congress Based on the constitution “He (the President) shall from time to time give to the Congress information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient…” #1 Chance for the President to reach the nation and lay out his agenda

8. Speaker of the House 2 nd only to the president in power Created by the constitution Presides Leader of the majority party Interprets and applies the rules Refers bills to standing committees Puts questions to vote Names members of special committees – influences comm. assignments Sign legislation if passed Informal powers

9. V.P – President of the Senate Much less power than the speaker Possibly from the minority party May have never served in congress Cannot debate Votes only to break a tie

10. President Pro Tempore (of the Senate) Patrick Leahy of Utah 3 heartbeats away from the White house Presides when the President Pro Tempore can’t

11. Majority and Minority Leaders Manage party interests Communicate with members Line up votes Strategize and negotiate on legislation Liaison to specialty caucuses Work with presiding officers to plan the agenda Assisted by “Whips” Harry Reid above Eric Canter to the left

12. Party Whips

13. Obstacles to passing any bills Bicameral legislature Decentralized power Congressional leaders must get re-elected to leadership – must please factions Gerrymandered districts

14. The Committee System Most real work done in committee Standing committees – subject area (subcommittees) House 19 – Senate 16

15. Select Committees Special purpose/limited scope Investigatory role Oversight function

16. Joint Committees House and Senate members Lesser functions – i.e. Library of Congress oversight

17. Conference Committees Selected by the Speaker and the floor leaders Iron out differences in bills

18. The House Rules Committee “granting a rule”. Placing a bill on the agenda to be debated and voted upon. Traffic cop role

19. Congress $4 billion budget 30,000 employees total Divided between individual member staff and those working for Congress as a whole Congressional salaries account for only 3% of the congressional budget

20. Congressional Staff Staff budget for each members – 12,000 work for members of congress – about 17 per congressman, 40 per Senator Plus GAO, CBO, CRS – these staff agencies work for all of Congress.

21. Types of Bills Public Bills – Applies to the entire nation. “providing for the common defense or promoting the general welfare.” Private Bills – For special unique circumstances. Applies to a select group of people or a specific location. Concurrent Resolutions – Joint action, House and Senate. Takes a position. Does not have the force of law. No signature by the president required. The 9/11 responders bill

22. What happens to most bills? 5,500 introduced each year Dying in committee Pigeon holed – can be blasted out, but rare Marked up – rewritten Amended

23. Amendments to Laws Riders - have little to do with the original bill. Earmarks – riders that authorize spending – projects usually benefit one state or congressional district. “pork barrel projects”

24. Omnibus Spending bills End of the year spending bills – many different projects and departments thrown into one giant bill. Ripe for earmarks.

26. Step 1 – Introduction of the bill Hopper – anyone can write but only a member can introduce Short title Congressional record Assigned to a committee

27. Step 2 – The Committee Process Role of the committee chair (pre 1970’s seniority system) now seniority matters, but… Assigned to a subcommittee – manage the committee process Hearings scheduled “Marked up” or replaced by a committee bill Junket Reported out (favorable recommendation) pigeonholed

28. Step 3 On the floor Scheduled for debate and consideration (House – Grant a rule) Debate Committee of the whole (suspend the rules) Filibuster in the senate – vote of cloture 60 Voice vote v electronic (record) vote Amend, riders, earmarks Blasted out with a discharge petition

29. Step 4 – Conference Committee Not an open process Majority party may shut out the minority party What’s next? – resubmit for a vote

30. Step 5 – The President’s Desk Sign Veto Unsigned – becomes law Pocket veto G.W. Bush - Signing statements

31. Party Cohesion and Congress Stick together to elect leadership Some issues show deep divisions within the parties Endangered species – blue dog Democrats – moderate Republicans Parties can’t remove a member from Congress May strip a member of committee assignments Party influence of campaign funding 2012 – Speaker Boehner removes Justin Amash from the Budget Committee

32. Constituency v Ideology 3 Roles for members of congress Trustees – use your best judgment to make policies that will effect the people Instructed delegates – reflect/represent the views of constituents Politicos – combine the trustee and instructed delegate roles – balancing act How far can members of congress vary from their constituents views? Safe districts.

33. Lobbyists and members of congress 35,000 representing 12,000 interest groups Source of knowledge – expertise Source of campaign funding Lobbyists aim is to influence legislation and regulations High v low visibility issues

34. Lobbyist Rules – 1995 Register & report who they represent Report spending and funding - disclosure Strict limit on gifts, and expensive meals Honorarium limits Limits on travel spending

35. Hyperpluralism and Congress Congressional reps want to please everyone Fragmented and decentralized – leadership weakened since 1970’s Congressional spending – expansion due to pleasing all interest groups Avoids decisive action – hard choices