1. Leadership in Congress

2. Leadership in Congress
Speaker of the House
Presiding officer in the House / Most powerful person
Chosen by majority party / Leader of the majority party
Recognizes members
Appoints members to committees
Schedules bills and refers bills to committees
Vice-President
Presiding officer in the Senate
Only votes to break ties

3. Leadership in Congress
President Pro Tempore
Presides over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President
Majority Floor Leader
Help plan the party’s legislative program
Steers important bills
Most powerful person in the Senate
Elected by their party
Whip
Assist the floor leaders by making sure party members are there for key votes
Keep their finger on the “pulse” of their party members’ views

4. House of Representatives
Leadership Structure
House of Representatives
Senate
Committee Chairs
Speaker
Vice-Pres
Pres. Pro-Temp
Maj. Floor Leader
Min. Floor Leader
Maj. Floor Leader
Min. Floor Leader
Majority
Whip
Majority
Whip
Minority
Whip
Minority
Whip

5. Congressional Committees

6. "Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.”
- Woodrow Wilson (1885)

7. Congressional Committees: Function & Purpose
Senate Judiciary Committee drafts the USA PATRIOT Act
Senate Judiciary Committee drafts the USA PATRIOT Act
Congressional Committees: Function & Purpose
#1: Consider Bills
(“mark-up” bills)
#2: Oversight of Executive Agencies
#3: Conduct Investigations
Senate Judiciary Committee drafts the PATRIOT Act
Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee investigates the failures of government response before, during and after Hurricane Katrina
House Armed Services Committee considers funding for the Iraq War

8. Types of Committees Standing Committee Permanent committees
Chaired by a member of the majority party
Majority of members on the committee belong to the majority party
full legislative functions and oversight responsibilities
Examples:
Appropriations – charged with setting specific expenditures for the federal government
Ways & Means – jurisdiction over all taxes, tariffs and revenue raising measures
Judiciary – conducts hearings and makes confirmation recommendations to the full Senate re: presidential appointments to the federal bench

9. Types of Committees Subcommittee Sub-category of a standing committee
Formed to tackle very specific tasks within the jurisdiction of the full committees
Examples:
National Parks Subcommittee (Energy & Natural Resources Committee)
Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Subcommittee (Agriculture Committee)
Early Childhood, Elementary & Secondary Education Subcommittee (Education & Labor Committee)

10. Types of Committees Select Committee Temporary/limited duration
Study one specific issue (hunger, problems of interest groups, etc.)
Examples:
Select Committee on Ethics
Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming

11. Types of Committees Joint Committee May be temporary or permanent
Made up of members from House and Senate
conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks
Examples:
Joint Economic Committee
Joint Committee on Printing
Joint Committee on Taxation

12. Types of Committees Conference Committee
Includes members of House & Senate
Sole purpose: to work out differences between similar bills