1. Congress in Action
Unit 2

2. I. Congress Organizes

3. A. The Presiding Officers
Speaker of the House
Chosen by House of Rep
Presides over sessions and keeps order
Names members of select committees and signs all bills
Doesn’t often vote in the House

4. A. The Presiding Officers
President of the Senate
The Vice President
Less powerful role than Speaker of the House
Cannot speak on the floor or debate
Only votes to break a tie

5. A. The Presiding Officers
President Pro Tem
Serves in VP’s absence
Elected by Senate
Leading member of majority party

6. Write this off to the side:
Order of Succession to Presidency:
1) Vice President
2) Speaker of the House
3) President Pro Tem

7. B. Party Officers Party Caucus
Closed meeting of the members of each party in each house
Selects party’s floor leaders

8. B. Party Officers Floor Leaders
Most important officers in Congress after Speaker
Carry out decisions of party caucus
Majority leader is more powerful than minority leader

9. B. Party Officers Whips Assistant floor leads chosen by party caucus
Serve as a liaison between party’s leaders and regular members

10. C. Committee Chairmen Committee Chairmen
Lead committees in each chamber
Chosen by majority party’s caucus
Usually chosen based on seniority

11. II. Committees in Action

12. A. Standing Committees What is a Standing Committee?
Permanent committee
20 in House and 17 in the Senate

14. A. Standing Committees Committee Assignments
Most committees handle bills w/particular policy matters
Majority party holds a majority of seats in the committee

15. A. Standing Committees The House Rules Committee
Decides under if and how the full House will consider a measure
It has a lot of power!

16. A. Standing Committees Select Committees Handle specific matters
Exist only for a limited time

17. B. Joint and Conference Committees
Joint Committee
Committee with members of both houses
Conference Committee
Temporary joint committee used for dealing with issues with bills before they go to the President

18. III. How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House

19. A.The First Steps What is a bill?
A proposed law presented to the House or Senate for consideration
b. A rider is something unrelated that is added to the bill since it probably wouldn’t pass on its own

20. 2.Types of Bills and Resolutions

21. B.The Bill in Committee
Most bills are pigeonholed, which means they die in the committee
If most of the House wants to see it, the pigeonholed bill can leave the committee with a discharge petition

22. B.The Bill in Committee Gathering Information
Chairperson decides what bills to look at
Subcommittees do most of the work

23. B.The Bill in Committee Committee Actions Report the bill favorably
Refuse to report the bill
Report the bill in amended form
Report the bill with an unfavorable recommendation
Report a committee bill

24. C. Scheduling Floor Debate
Calendars
Union Calendar - revenues, appropriations, gov’t property
House Calendar - public bills
Private Calendar - private bills
Corrections Calendar - minor bills w/o opposition
Discharge Calendar - for petitions to discharge bills from committee

25. C. Scheduling Floor Debate
Rules
House Rules Committee has to grant a rule before most bills reach the floor
Can also limit amount of time a bill is discussed on the floor

26. D. The Bill on the Floor Committee of the Whole
Bill gets a second reading
At least 100 members have to be there

27. D. The Bill on the Floor Debate
Restrictions prevent anyone from talking too much

28. D. The Bill on the Floor Voting Voice votes Standing vote
One-fifth of quorum can demand a teller vote
Quorum = majority of House (218)
Roll-call vote

29. D. The Bill on the Floor Final Steps
The bill is engrossed, or printed in its final form
Read 3rd time and voted on
Carried to the Senate!

30. IV. The Bill in the Senate

31. A. Introducing the Bill
Introduced by Senators and called out to the floor at the discretion of the majority floor leader

32. B. Rules for Debate
More unrestrained in the Senate
“Two-speech rule”

33. B. Rules for Debate The Filibuster
An attempt to “talk a bill to death”
Used to delay or prevent Senate action on a measure

34. B. Rules for Debate 3. The Cloture Rule Limits the debate
Need 16 Senators to file a petition
Must have 60 senators’ approval

35. C. Conference Committees
If the House or Senate doesn’t like the other’s version of a bill, they join a joint Conference Committee to make a compromise bill to be voted on

36. D. The President Acts!
The President may sign the bill, and then it becomes law.

37. D. The President Acts!
The President may veto, or refuse to sign, the bill
Congress can override veto with 2/3 majority in each house

38. D. The President Acts!
The President may allow the bill to become law without signing it by not acting on it within 10 days

39. D. The President Acts!
Pocket veto can happen if Congress adjourns within 10 days and the President hasn’t acted yet