1. Magruder’s American Government
C H A P T E R 12 Congress in Action
Magruder’s American Government
© 2001 by Prentice Hall, Inc.

2. C H A P T E R 12 The Federal Court System
SECTION 1 Congress Organizes SECTION 2 Committees in Congress SECTION 3 How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House SECTION 4 The Bill in the Senate 1 2 3 4
Chapter 12

4. S E C T I O N 1 2 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 1

5. 2 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 1

8. State of the Union Cont.
The State of the Union is based on a constitutional command
“He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the State if the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient…”
Article II, Section 3
Since Woodrow Wilson in 1913, the President presents I in person in front of Congress, members of the Cabinet, justices of the Supreme Court, foreign diplomatic corps, and dignitaries

9. Congressional Leaders and their Duties
1. Speaker of the House
2. Majority Floor Leader
3. Minority Floor Leader
4. Majority and Minority Whips
5. Committee Chairman
House of Representatives
Congressional Leaders and their Duties
6. President of the Senate
7. President pro tempore
8. Majority Leader
9. Minority Leader
10. Majority and Minority whips
11. Committee Chairmen
Senate

10. #1 Speaker of the House Presides and keeps order Chairs sessions
Allows members to speak by recognizing them
Interprets and applies the rules
Refers bills to committee
Puts motions to a vote and decides outcome
Names members of select and conference committees
Signs all bills and resolutions by House

11. House of Reps. Cont. 2 3 4 #2 Majority Floor Leader
Each party holds a party caucus which is a closed meeting
of the members of each party in each house and held before Congress convenes in January
Meet to decide party organization, selection of floor leaders, committee membership
Floor leaders: in the House and Senate are the most important officers who try to carry out the decisions of their parties' caucuses and steer floor action to their benefit and are the chief spokespersons of their party
#2 Majority Floor Leader
Controls order of business on the floor
carries out decisions of party’s caucus
#3 Minority Floor Leader
Carries out decisions of party’s caucus 2 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 1

12. House of Representatives Cont.
Two floor leaders are assisted by party whips who are assistant floor leaders and they’re chosen at the party caucus based on the recommendation of the floor leaders
#4 Majority and Minority Whips
liaison between the party’s leadership and its rank-and-file members.
Make sure party members are present for important votes
Influence party members to vote with leaders 2 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 1

13. Committee Chairmen and Seniority Rule
The committee chairmen are the members who head the standing committees in each chamber of Congress where the bulk of the work is done
The chairman of each of these permanent committees is chosen from the majority party by the majority party caucus.
Duties:
Head standing committees
Have major say in which bills the committee will consider, in what order, at what length, and what witnesses the committee will call
Manage debate and steer passage on floor 2 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 1

14. Committee Chairmen Custom
Seniority Rule
The seniority rule, an unwritten custom, holds that the most important posts will be held by those party members with the longest records of service in Congress.
The head of each committee is often the longest-serving member of the committee from the majority party.

17. Senate Leaders #6 President of the Senate
Vice President of the United States
Presides over meetings
Recognize members, puts questions to a vote
Cannot speak or debate on Senate floor
May vote only to break a tie

18. Senate Cont. #7 President pro tempore #8 Majority Leader
Member of the Senate’s majority leader
Elected to serve as Senate leader in the absence of the Vice President
#8 Majority Leader
Controls order of business on floor
Carries out decisions of party’s caucus

19. Senate Cont. #9 Minority Leader #10 Majority and Minority Whips
Carries out decisions of party’s caucus
#10 Majority and Minority Whips
Liaison between party leaders and members
Make sure each party member are present for important votes
Influence party members to vote with leaders
#11 Committee Chairmen
Head standing committees
Have major say in which bills the committee will consider, in what order, at what length, and what witnesses the committee will call
manage debate and steer passage on floor

22. Composition of Congress2 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 1

23. Section 1 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. 2 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 1

25. S E C T I O N 2 1 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 2

26. Standing Committees
Standing committees are permanent panels in Congress to which bills of similar nature could be sent.
Most of the standing committees handle bills dealing with particular policy matters, such as veterans’ affairs or foreign relations.
The majority party always holds a majority of the seats on each committee (the lone exception being the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct). 1 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 2

33. Permanent Committees of Congress1 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 2

34. The House Rules Committee and Select Committees
The Rules Committee decides whether and under what conditions the full House will consider a measure.
This places great power in the Rules Committee, as it can speed, delay, or even prevent House action on a measure.
The Select Committees
Select committees are panels established to handle a specific matter and usually exist for a limited time.
Most select committees are formed to investigate a current matter. 1 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 2

36. Joint and Conference Committees
A joint committee is one composed of members of both houses.
Some are permanent and other are select that come up when an issue needs collaboration between both houses 1 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 2

37. A conference committee—a temporary, joint body—is created to iron out differences between bills passed by the House and Senate before they are sent to the President.

40. Section 2 Review 1. The House Rules Committee
(a) establishes codes of conduct.
(b) determines when and under what conditions the full House will consider a measure.
(c) oversees the execution of bills once they are passed into law.
(d) determines which members of the Senate may vote on a measure.
2. A conference committee is formed to
(a) iron out differences in bills passed by the House and Senate before they are sent to the President.
(b) hold press conferences.
(c) appoint Supreme Court justices.
(d) determine rules for debate. 1 3 4
Chapter 12, Section 2

42. 1 2 4
Chapter 12, Section 3

43. House of Representatives
What steps does a successful bill follow as it moves through the House?
*Fill in your flow map with each step*

44. The First Steps
#1 A bill is introduced: its a proposed law presented to the House or Senate for consideration.
A bill or resolution usually deals with a single matter, but sometimes a rider dealing with an unrelated matter is included. 1 2 4
Chapter 12, Section 3

45. Types of Bills and Resolutions1 2 4
Chapter 12, Section 3

46. #2 The clerk of the House gives the bill a number and title
#3 First reading: bill is entered it into the House Journal and the Congressional Record for the day.

47. #4 Speaker refers the bill to the appropriate standing committee: they act as sieves and sift through all the bills, reject most, and consider only those they find worthy of floor consideration

48. The Bill in Committee 1 2 4 Discharge Petitions
Most bills die in committee are pigeonholed, or put away, never to be acted upon..die in the committee
If a committee pigeonholes a bill that a majority of the House wishes to consider, it can be brought out of committee via a discharge petition. 1 2 4
Chapter 12, Section 3

49. #7 Rules committee grants rule to permit floor consideration
#5 Subcommittee may hold hearings or take informational junkets: committees send bill to subcommittees who will hold public hearings or take a trip to gather information relating to a measure
#6 Committee reports bill: once a bill completes its work on a bill, the measure goes back to the full committee and report on it:
a. Favorably and “do pass”
b. Refuse to report the bill and pigeonhole it
c. Report the bill in an amended form
d. Report bill with an unfavorable recommendation
e. Report a committee bill which is a new bill that substitutes the old one
#7 Rules committee grants rule to permit floor consideration
#8 Bill is placed on appropriate calendar which is a schedule of the order in which bills will be taken up on the floor … 5 calendars based on topic of bill and topics are assigned certain days to talk about them

50. #9 Bill receives second reading- may be debated and amended
#10 House votes on amendments, motions, and full bill : either voice votes, roll calls, or now computerized voting system
#11 Approved bill is engrossed: printed in its final form
#12 Bill receives a third reading by title only
#13 Final vote is taken and signed by Speaker
#14 A page, a legislative aide, carries it to the Senate side of the capitol and places it on the Senate president’s desk

51. How a Bill Become a Law Illustration 1 2 4
Chapter 12, Section 3

52. Section 3 Review 1. Riders are
(a) measures attached to a bill dealing with an unrelated matter.
(b) bills dealing with transportation matters only.
(c) measures included in a bill that are unconstitutional.
(d) none of the above.
2. All of the following are options for committees to take once they have finished reviewing a bill EXCEPT
(a) refusing to report the bill.
(b) reporting a bill in amended form.
(c) reporting a committee bill.
(d) passing the bill into law.
Want to connect to the Magruder’s link for this section? Click Here! 1 2 4
Chapter 12, Section 3

54. S E C T I O N 4 The Bill in the Senate
How is a bill introduced in the Senate?
How do the Senate’s rules for debate differ from those in the House?
What is the role of conference committees in the legislative process?
What actions can the President take after both houses have passed a bill? 1 2 3
Chapter 12, Section 4

55. Introducing a Bill and Rules for Debate
Bills are introduced by senators, who are formally recognized for that purpose.
Proceedings are much less formal in the Senate compared to the House.
Rules for Debate
The major differences between House and Senate rules regard debate over measures.
This freedom of debate allows for the fullest possible discussion of matters on the floor. 1 2 3
Chapter 12, Section 4

60. Conference Committees
Any measure enacted by Congress must have been passed by both houses in identical form. 1 2 3
Chapter 12, Section 4

64. Flow Map
Turn to page ____ and use that to complete your flow map on how a bill becomes a law.

70. Section 4 Review 1. A filibuster is
(a) a tool used by senators to speed up the process of passing legislation.
(b) the name for a bill once it is signed into law.
(c) a delay tactic in which a bill is talked to death.
(d) an executive privilege that allows for the amending of passed bills.
2. All of the following are options for the President for dealing with a bill once he receives it EXCEPT
(a) allowing it to become law by not acting upon it for 10 days.
(b) signing the bill into law.
(c) altering the bill and signing it into law.
(d) vetoing the bill. 1 2 3
Chapter 12, Section 4