1. Congress/Legislative Branch Chapter 5: Sections 1 & 2 Goal: describe the functions and structure of Congress Warm-Up: Write down everything you know about Congress.

2. Recap 5:1 Material:  Congress is the national legislature  Congress is a bicameral legislature  two houses  The House of Representatives  The Senate  Main duty: make laws  2 nd Duty: Represent Constituents (us, the “customers”)

3. The Members of Congress  535 voting members  100 Senators + 435 Representatives  ½ are lawyers, also from banking, business, and education  Since 1945, 90% of all incumbents, or those members already in office won reelection

4. House of Representatives http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NBaTTaz-e4  435 Members  Based on state populations  Presiding officer: Speaker of the House  All tax laws come from the House of Reps.  Can impeach government officials  Qualifications  25 Years old  Citizen for 7 years  Legal resident of the state  Terms of Office  2 year terms  Reorganizes every 2 years  Represents congressional district in home- state

5. Senate  2 Senators from each state  Statewide election  Qualifications  30 years old  Citizen for 9 years  Terms of Office  6 years  1/3 of senators run for reelection every 2 years  Presiding Officer: Vice president of the United States Special Duties: - Tries impeached officials -Approves or rejects treaties with other countries -Approves or rejects Presidential appointments

7. Salary and Privileges  Both-~150,000  Many benefits and resources  Ex: Income tax reduction, postage, medical clinic  Free from arrest while they carry out duties  “in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of peace

8. Exit Slip:  Congress Worksheet  May work with 1 partner  Use notes and textbook or google  Due at the end of the period

9. Make-Up of the 112 th Senate (2010-2012)

10. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS  GOAL: Describe the various leadership positions in Congress http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgB6- pVzOp4

11. House Leadership  The Speaker of the House-the presiding officer of the House and its most powerful leader  Purposes  Organize and unify party members  Schedule work of the house  Make sure lawmakers are present for key votes  Keeping House in touch with President  Influencing lawmakers to support policies of their political party

12. Speaker of the House  Power:  Appoints members of committees  Schedules bills for action  Follows the Vice President in the line of succession to the presidency  Can call for a vote of censure  House of Reps votes to publicly rebuke (criticize) a member for wrong doing and refuse to seat them.

14. Senate Leadership  The Vice-President is the leader of the Senate.  Sets up meeting times  Votes as a tie-breaker when the Senate is gridlocked at 50-50.

15. Congressional Leaders  The Majority Leader -top assistant to the leaders of each chamber of Congress  Help Plan the legislative program and steer important bills through the house

16. Congressional Leaders, cont.  Whip-serve as assistant floor leaders  Watch how majority party members vote on bills, to persuade them to vote on bills, and see that party members are there to vote

17. Congressional Leaders  Minority Party Leader  Develops plan to keep majority party from passing its laws or ideas to add to its laws  Decides on how their party should vote on certain bills.  Minority Whip  Makes sure members of minority party are voting the “right way”.

18. Committee Leaders  Representatives and Senators who are in charge of various committees that make certain types of laws:  Finance  Transportation/Communication  Taxes  Military  Rules

19. Legislative Assistants  Help lawmakers  Research topics  Draft bills  Answer phones/emails  GREAT COLLEGE INTERNSHIP JOB!

20. How a bill becomes a LAW Goal: Describe how laws are made. Warm-Up: “I’m Just a Bill” Schoolhouse Rock video

21. Quorum  minimum number of members who must be present for official action to be taken  218 members (in House)  70 members in the Senate

22. 1. How are Laws made?  All laws start out as bills: a proposed law is called a bill until both houses of Congress pass it and the president signs it

23. 2. How Bills Are Scheduled  1-Introduced; dropped in the hopper  2-Sent to appropriate committee for review  3-Bills that survive are put on a “calendar” (bills that are up for consideration http://youtu.be/PYhrcLm20VI Bank Bailout Debate

24. 3. What do Committees do?  Because Congress is so large, it must organize itself into smaller groups  Committees specialize in a few issues that are important to the people they represent (constituents) http://youtu.be/G44NCvNDLfc Healthcare debate

25. 4. After it passes committee…  House of Representatives votes on it  If it passes, it goes to Senate  Doesn’t pass it dies  Appropriate Senate committees reviews and edits it.  Passes committee, the full Senate votes on it  Fails committee, it dies  Filibuster  Can talk as long as they want against it until time runs out OR cloture vote is taken

26. 5. If passed by the Senate…  If passed by the Senate  Goes to conference committee where differences are worked out.  If passes conference committee  The full Congress votes on it.

27. 6. If Congress passes bill…  Then Congress must pass the bill  Goes to President’s desk to be signed.  If President signs bill, it becomes a law!  If he fails to sign it in 14 days it becomes a law.

28. What if the President Vetoes?  If the President vetoes the bill,  Goes back to Congress where 2/3rds majority vote in each chamber can override the veto.  Very difficult to do  Pocket Veto  President doesn’t sign it while Congress is in session and the bill dies. THE END!

29. Calendars  Union-money  House-public bills  Private-deal with individual people/places  Consent-unanimous  Discharge-petitions to discharge a bill from committee

30. House Rules Committee  “Traffic Officer” in the house  Helps direct flow of legislation  Moves bills ahead  Holds them back  Stops completely  Functions: can move bills ahead  How and when legislation will be considered by the house

31. House Rules Committee, Cont.  Can move bills ahead of other bills and sent to the House floor  Time limit for debate  Settles disputes among other House committees  Block/delay bills they do not want on the House floor