1. Congress at Work
Chapter 7

2. Legislation Bills Resolution Law –
a proposed new law introduced within a legislature that has not yet been passed, enacted or adopted
Resolution
Make policy on unusual or temporary matters
Law –
a bill or act passed by a legislative body

3. Types of Bills Two types Private Public Individual people or places
Only a small number of bills are private
Public
General matters and apply to the entire nation
Controversial because the touch many people
Ex. tax cuts, health care, civil rights

4. Types of Resolutions Make policy on unusual or temporary matters
Three kinds
Simple: matters affecting only 1 house of Congress and is passed by that house alone
Joint: passed in same form by both houses
force of law when signed by president
Constitutional amendment
Concurrent: actions of both houses; law not needed
Ex. adjourning Congress

5. Earmarks aka Pork Barrel Projects
Way that members of Congress specify that some part of a funding bill will go toward a certain purpose
Pet projects that appeal to constituents
Rider
Attached to a bill likely to pass
Provision on a subject other than the one covered in the bill
Can cause a president to veto a bill

6. Congressmen Wear Many Hats
Legislator
Representative
Partisan
Committee Member
Politician

7. Congressmen Wear Many Hats
Representative: provide services and help constituents
Legislator: make laws
Committee Member: screen bills, provide oversight
Partisan: support party agenda
Politician: get re-elected

8. Step 1: An Idea for a Bill Sources: Member(s) of Congress
Private Citizen
Interest Group
Federal Agency
White House
Governor(s)
Mayor(s)

9. Step 2: Writing & Introduction of Bill
House:
Bill dropped in hopper
Referred to committee by the Speaker
Senate:
Bill formally read aloud on floor
Bill then given to clerk
Referred to committee by Steering Committee
Sen. Smith introduces bill on the Senate floor
~ Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

10. Step 3: How a Bill Becomes a Law
Committee Action
Bills sent to committee that deals with their subject (143)
Chairs send bill to sub-committee
Experts
Reject (ignore or “die” or “pigeonhole”)
Kill (majority vote)
Rewrite
Amend
Recommend for adoption as is

11. #3 How a Bill Becomes a Law
Committee Hearing
When decision to act is made
Listen to testimony from experts on the bill’s subject
Gather information
Can be used to influence public opinion for or against bill
Focus public attention on issue
Outside groups influence bill

12. #3 How a Bill Becomes a Law
Markup Session
After hearings
Go section by section through bill
Decide on what changes, if any, to make
Majority vote of committee required to change

13. How a Bill Becomes a Law Reporting a bill
After changes committee votes to kill or report bill
Send to House or Senate for action
Sent with a committee report to explain actions, describe bill, list major changes and give opinions
Recommendations: pass or unfavorable (why?)

14. Step 4: Floor Action - Senate
Party leaders schedule bills for floor debate on the calendar
Unlimited debate
Filibuster - member(s) keep talking to block debate on a bill
Cloture vote by 3/5 of Senators (60) can end filibuster
Floor vote: Roll Call, Standing, Voice
Senator Strum Thurman still holds the record for the longest filibuster - 24 hrs 18 min. on the 1957 Civil Rights Act

15. Step 4: Floor Action - House
Rules Committee schedules bills on calendar & decides whether amendments may be added
Limited debate
Floor vote: Recorded, Standing, Voice

16. Step 5: Approved Bill Crosses Over to Other House
Approved bill must pass each chamber by a simple majority

17. Step 6: Conference Committee
Members from each chamber meet to reconcile differences in the two bills
Senate-House Conference Committee works out details of the 2003 Healthy Forest Restoration Act

18. Step 7: Both Chambers Vote on Final Version of the Bill

19. Step 8: President Considers Bill
President can:
sign the bill into law
veto bill
pocket veto
Note: Congress can override veto with 2/3 vote in each house; only 4% of vetos have been overriden

20. How a Bill Becomes a Law Final steps
Bill must pass both houses in identical forms
Conference committee
Presidential action
Sign to become law
Keep bill for 10 days without signing, if Congress in session it becomes law
Veto
Pocket veto (last 10 days of session)

21. How a Bill Becomes a Law Congressional override of veto Line Item Veto
2/3 vote in each house = law
Line Item Veto
Reject specific lines of a bill while accepting the rest
Unconstitutional

22. Taxing and Spending Bills
Chapter 7 Section 2

23. Making Decisions About Taxes
Taxes—Money paid by people & businesses to support the government
#1 way in which the government gets money
Revenue-income from taxes

24. House of Rep and Taxes House Power Over Revenue Bills
All Revenue Bills must start in the House of Representatives
House Ways and Means Committee---
1.decides whether to go along with presidential requests for tax cuts or increases
2. Makes the rules that determine who will pay how much tax

25. House of Rep and Taxes
Closed Rule —stopped members from offering any amendments to a bill from the floor. Only the House Ways & Means Committee Could have a say.
1.1973—House allowed members to amend tax bills from the floor.
a. Critics—Tax bills became a collection of amendments written to please special interests.

26. Senate and Revenue Bills
No closed rule
Amendments allowed
Perception of more special interest influence
Committee on Finance deals with tax matters

27. Appropriating Money
Appropriation-approval of government spending belongs to Congress
Congress must pass laws to appropriate money
Approve spending before departments and agencies of executive branch can spend money

28. How Congress Appropriates Money
Two-step procedure
Authorization Bill: sets up federal program and specifies how much money can be appropriated for it
Ex. bill to build recreational facility in inner cities; limit of $30 million can be spent per year; administered by Dept of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD)
Appropriation Bill: when request is made to receive money that was authorized to run federal program
Ex. HUD requests money that has been authorized for rec facilities

29. How Congress Appropriates Money
Each year president presents budget to Congress
Congressional Budget Office
Appropriations committee creates own appropriations bills
May only partially award grant of money
Ex. Only $15 million award for rec facilities. HUD will have to ask for more money next year

31. The Appropriations Committee
House and Senate have committees
12 subcommittees
Each year they must return to Congress to request the money they need for the upcoming year
Department heads and program directors answer questions about their budgets in hearings
Explain why they need money
Return yearly to request money
Federal program familiarity
Relationships and favor to certain agencies
Special-interest influence

32. Chapter 7 Section 3
Influencing Congress

33. Senator Or Representative The President
Voters in home states and districts
The President
Lawmaker’s Political Party
Staff or Committee Members
Senator Or
Representative
Speaker of the House
Each Other
Senate Majority Leader
Campaign Fund Contributors and Campaign Workers
Lobbyists for special interest groups
and PACS

34. Chapter 7 Section 4
Helping Constituents

35. Handle Problems District/State Constituents Casework
Response to variety of requests
Why help?
District/State
Public Works Legislation
pork barrel/earmarks
Logrolling
Winning grants and contracts
Congressional Staffers act as caseworkers
Why help constituents: get reelected, how Congress monitors the performance of the executive branch, help average citizen cope with huge national government
Pork barrel: laws to appropriate money for local federal projects attached to other legislation that will/has to pass
Logrolling: when two or more lawmakers agree to support each other’s bills
Grants and contracts: lawmakers try to influence executive branch agencies, like Department of Labor, to award grants and contracts

36. Casework—Helping constituents with problems.
Handling Problems
Casework—Helping constituents with problems.
Caseworkers handle the problems of the constituents, but when they cannot the lawmaker steps in.
Purposes of Casework:
Help lawmakers get reelected
A way in which Congress oversees the Executive Branch
Provides a way for the average citizen to deal with the huge national government
Helping the District or State
Pork-Barrel Legislation —laws passed by Congress that appropriate money for local federal projects
Ex: post offices, dams, federally funded highways, veterans hospitals, etc

37. You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours
When two or more congressman agree to help each other it is called “logrolling.”
You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours