1. How is Congress Organized?

2. What is Congress’s Job?

3. The Business of Congress
A-Listers
Committees
How a Bill Becomes a Law

4. Congressional A-Listers

5. A-Listers in the House Speaker of the House Speaker’s Role:
Preside over House sessions
Keep order in House sessions (follow the rules)
Follows the Vice President in line for the Presidency
Who is the Speaker?
Elected by the majority party in House
MOST powerful position in Congress
January 2015: John Boehner (R-OH)

6. A-Listers in the House & Senate
Majority/Minority Floor Leader
Role:
Not an official position, but powerful
Lead spokesperson for their party
Manage the party’s business in the House/Senate

7. A-Listers in the House & Senate
Majority/Minority WHIPs
Role:
Assistant Floor Leaders
Provide communication between the parties’ leadership and members

8. A-Listers in the Senate
President of the Senate
President of the Senate’s Role:
Presides over Senate sessions
Maintains the Senate rules
Only votes in a tiebreak
Who is the President of the Senate?
Vice President of the US
Not always a member of the majority party
January 2015: Joe Biden (D-PA)

9. A-Listers in the Senate
President Pro Tempore
President Pro Temp’s Role:
Serves as the President of the Senate when the Vice President is absent (always)
Who is the President Pro Temp?
Elected by the majority party of the Senate
Usually the leading member of majority party
January 2015: Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

10. Congressional Committees

11. Importance of Committees
Committees are where Congress does most of its work
Each committee has a specific focus (ex. Armed Services, Judiciary, Foreign/International Relations)
Members of the House and Senate are assigned to committees
Include both Democrats and Republicans

12. Standing Committees DEFINITION:
A permanent committee that meets regularly
Both House and Senate have Standing Committees
House:
~21 Standing Committees
Senate:
~17 Standing Committees

13. A-Listers in the House & Senate
Committee Chairmen
Committee Chairmen’s Role:
Lead the Standing Committees
Decides when the committee meets
Decides what the committee works on
Spokesperson to the whole House/Senate
Who are Committee Chairmen?
Chosen by the major party
Seniority Rule: Committee Chairmen are usually the person who has been in Congress the longest

14. House Rules Committee ROLE:
Decides what bills are debated in the House
Decides how long bills will be debated
Decides how long each person can speak about bills
INFLUENCE:
The House Rules Committee can speed, delay or even prevent the House from discussing a bill.
It’s VERY IMPORTANT.

15. Conference Committee DEFINITION:
Temporary committee formed of House and Senate members
Works out difference between two versions of the same bill

16. How a Bill Becomes a Law

17. How Many Bills Become Law?
What Happened in the 110th ( ) Congress?
# of bills introduced: 11059
(3724 in Senate, 7335 in House)
# of bills that became law: 442
(134 introduced in Senate, 308 introduced in House)
% of bills that became law: 4%
Most bills died in committee!!!

18. How Many Bills Become Law?

19. Why is it SO HARD for a Bill to Become a Law?
It’s a really LONG process.
A LOT of people have to agree with each other.
BOTH the House and Senate have to pass EXACTLY the same bill.

20. School House Rocks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0
As you’re watching, try to write down as many steps that bills go through to become a law.

21. Filibuster Cloture Rule
Unique to the Senate
Filibuster
Cloture Rule

22. Unique to the Senate Filibuster Cloture Rule “Talk a bill to death”
Process Senators use to keep a bill from being voted on/passed
A minority of senators try to use up the Senate’s time so the bill is dropped or changed to their liking
A way that the time spent debating a bill can be limited
Requires 60 senators (3/5 Senate) to agree

23. Mapping the Process Use page 345 in your textbook.
List out the steps necessary for a bill to become a law.
Add terms from the notes: Standing Committee, House Rules Committee, etc.
Write down questions you have about the process.