1. Congress at Work
Chapter 7

2. Section 1: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Objectives
Explain how federal legislation is proposed, reviewed, and enacted
Define the key terms

3. I. Types of Bills & Resolutions
What is the difference between a bill and a resolution?
A. Bills
1. Private - individual people/places
2. Public - apply to entire nations
Ex: taxes, nat'l health care, gun control, civil rights, abortion

4. B. Resolutions
1. Simple - internal matters of one house of Congress
2. Joint resolution - when both houses agree on something (correct an error; appropriate $); can be signed by president to give it force of law
3. Concurrent resolution - used for matters that involve both houses; no need for president's signature

5. C. Riders - provisions added to a bill that have nothing to do with the bill
Why would a congressman/senator do this?
"Christmas tree" bill - ornaments

6. D. Why do so few bills become laws?
1. Process is long & complicated (100+ steps)
2. Sponsors (someone who proposes a bill) must be willing to compromise
3. Sponsors don't want it to pass
Why? a. Want to go on record as supporting an issue
b. Getting media attention
c. Satisfy interest groups
d. Call attention to a need
e. Avoid criticism at reelection time

7. II. Introducing a Bill Process has become more complex over time
A. How bills are introduced
1. Proposal - ideas for a new law
2. Introduction - only by a member of Congress
In the House - drop it in the hopper
In Senate - senator must formally introduce it

9. Numbers reset at beginning of each new session
3. Bills printed, given a number, & distributed
Senate - S.1, S.2, etc
House - H.R. 1, H.R. 2, etc
Numbers reset at beginning of each new session

10. B. Committee Action
Pigeonhole it Kill it Committee hearing
Recommend for adoption Make changes Rewrite it
Hearings - listen to expert testimony
House & Senate usually agree on committee decisions.

11. D. Reporting a bill
- sending a bill to House or Senate for vote
- includes a written report about committee's findings & any changes made

12. III. Floor Action A. Debating & Amending bills
- amendments can only be added during debate
- can be used to slow down or kill the bill

13. Standing/division vote
B. Voting on a bill
1. Must have a quorum/majority
2. Types of votes
House
Voice votes
Standing/division vote
Recorded vote
Senate
Voice vote
Standing vote
Roll-call vote

14. IV. Final Steps
A. Conference Committee Action - if both houses don't agree on a bill, it goes to a joint committee; joint committee comes to compromise an sends the bill (conference report) for vote

15. B. Presidential Action
Sign it Keep it for 10 days Veto it
Law Line-item vet
Congress in session Congress not in session
Becomes law Pocket veto

16. C. Congressional Action - override a veto with a 2/3 majority in both houses of Congress

17. Section 2: Taxing and Spending bills

18. I. Making Decision about Taxes
A. The House's Power
1. House has EXCLUSIVE rights to start all revenue(taxes) bills (Article 1, Sec. 7)
WHY?
2. House Ways and Means Committee
a. Decides to go along with tax cuts or increases requested by Pres.
b. Sets tax rules & regulations

19. B. The Senate's Role in Tax Legislation
1. Cannot propose tax legislation BUT can add amendments to a House Bill
2. Senate Committee on Finance - responsible for dealing with tax matters

20. II. Appropriating Money
Congress’ two powers over government spending
1. passing tax laws
2. appropriating money – approval for gov’t spending

21. A. How?
2-step process: authorization bill & appropriations bill
1. authorization bill – sets up a federal program and specifies how much $ can go to the program
2. appropriations bill – program then requests $ from Congress; Congress passes a bill allowing the treasury to give that amount to the program

22. B. Appropriation Committees
- department agencies and program directors have to request the desired funds every year
- heavily influenced by special interest groups
C. Uncontrolled Expenditures
- about 70% of federal budget is already committed by previous legislation
- entitlements: required spending that continues yearly w/o need for hearings to approve spending: Social Security

23. Section 3: Influencing Congress Who and what do you think influences members of congress?

24. 1. Voters: Constituents
- voters expect representatives to vote to benefit their district
- voting records used by both candidates during election time
- candidates use polls, questionnaires, & town hall mtgs. to learn what constituents want

25. 2. Political parties
- party leaders sometimes pressure members to vote for the party’s position
- those in a party usually have similar beliefs

26. 3. The President
- he/she could convince voters to support his/her positions on an issue and put pressure on their reps.
- refuse to sign bills that reps. want unless the reps. do what he wants

27. 4. Interest Groups
- lobbyists: representatives of interest groups who try to influence members of Congress
- lobbying: their efforts to persuade Congress
Provide info to Congress
Face-to-face mtgs.
Influence voters to pressure Congress

28. 5. Political Action Committees (PAC)
- political fund-raising organizations established by corporations, labor unions, & special interest groups
- raise $ & give the $ to lawmakers who support their positions
** Candidates do not control PAC’s

29. Section 4: Helping Constituents

30. I. Handling Problems Casework: helping constituents w/problems
A. Many different Requests
Soldier & veteran needs
Issue w/gov’t agencies
How much involvement do voters want in their lives?

31. B. Who handles casework?
- staff members: caseworkers
C. Purpose of Casework
1. reelection purposes
2. check & balance of executive branch – How well are federal agencies running?
3. liaison b/t average citizen & huge bureaucracy

32. II. Helping the District or State
A House of Representative member represents a district w/in a state.
A senator represents the entire state.
How? By bringing $ and projects (that create jobs) back to districts & states

33. A. Public Works Legislation
Appropriation bills for projects
Pork-barrel legislation: funding pet projects through the national treasury; only benefit is to a specific district; usually receive criticism
Log rolling – law makers making agreements to support each others’ bills

34. B. Grants & Contracts
- projects funded by the federal budget