1. The Organization of Congress
113th Congress

2. How is Congress organized?
Essential Question
How is Congress organized?

3. What to write…
Red = vocabulary to be defined Yellow goes on flow chart; duties or names

4. Congress Convenes
Congress convenes every two years—on January 3 of every odd-numbered year.
The House has formal organizational meetings at the beginning of each term to determine committee membership and standing officers.
The Senate, because it is a continuous body, has fewer organizational issues to address at the start of each term.
When Congress is organized, the President presents a State of the Union message to a joint session of Congress. This message, in which the President reports on the state of the nation as he sees it, is given annually.

5. 113th Congress

6. House of Representatives

9. House of Representatives
Title of Leader: Speaker of the House
Name of Current Leader: John Boehner (R ) Ohio

10. The Speaker of the House
Runs the proceedings in the House of Representatives, highest ranking member of Congress
Is elected by the members of the House
Acknowledged as the leader of its party

11. Duties of the Speaker of the House
Calls for votes
Names committee members
Signs all House bills

12. The Party Caucus
The party caucus is a closed meeting of the members of each party in each house which deals with matters of party organization.

13. Majority & Minority Parties
Majority Party
Minority Party
The party having more members in a house.
Democrats = Senate
Repubicans = House
The party having less members in a house.
Republicans = Senate
Democrats = House

14. Floor Leader: The top member of a party in a house of Congress
Definitions
Floor Leader: The top member of a party in a house of Congress
Whip: assistant floor leader

15. Majority Floor Leader How Elected: Chosen by their party. Duties:
Make bills
Gather party support
Speak for the party in House

16. Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives Republican Leader Eric Cantor – New York

17. Minority Floor Leaders
How Elected: Chosen by their party colleagues.
Duties:
Same as Majority Floor Leader (just harder to accomplish)

18. Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives Democrat Leader: Nancy Pelosi - California

19. Majority Whip How Elected: Chosen by party caucus Duties:
Pass out information & gather support for party bills

20. Minority Whip How Elected: Chosen by party caucus
Duties: same as majority whip

21. The Senate

23. How are they chosen? Title of Leader: The President of the Senate
Name of the Current Leader:
Vice President is the President of the Senate
Joe Biden
How are they chosen?
Senate does not choose its own leader – elected with President
Is not a member of the body he represents
Less powerful than the Speaker of the House

24. Duties of the President of the Senate
Calls for votes
May only vote to break a tie
Not in the Senate daily

25. Title: President Pro Tempore
leader of the Senate in the absence of the Vice President
Patrick Leahy
How are they chosen?
Elected by the Senate
Duties:
Runs the Senate proceedings daily
Follows the Speaker in the line of Presidential succession

26. Majority Floor Leader How Elected: Chosen by their party colleagues.
Duties:
Same as Majority Floor Leader in the House

27. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) - Nevada

28. Minority Floor Leader How Elected: Duties:
Chosen by their party colleagues.
Duties:
Same as Majority Floor Leader (only more difficult to accomplish)

29. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) - Kentucky

30. Pass out information & gather support for party bills
Title: The Majority Whip
How Elected:
Chosen by their party caucus.
Duties:
Pass out information & gather support for party bills

31. Same as the majority whip
Title: The Minority Whip
How Elected:
Chosen by their party caucus
Duties:
Same as the majority whip

32. Review 1. The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is
(a) the President.
(b) the Speaker of the House.
(c) the majority whip.
(d) the president pro tempore.
2. The party whips are responsible for all of the following EXCEPT
(a) serving as a liaison between party leaders and rank-and-file members.
(b) presiding over the House or Senate.
(c) informing the floor leader of anticipated vote counts in key decisions.
(d) seeing that all members of the party are present for important votes.