1. How a bill becomes a law
Bill must be introduced by a member of Congress
Bill is referred to a committee for consideration (amendments, thrown out or pigeonholed)
May be referred to multiple committees (multiple referral) or parts (sequential referral)
Revenue bills (tax reforms) must originate in the House
Most bills die in committee
Full House or Senate may use discharge petition to get a bill out of committee (218 mem)
Some sent to subcommittee to hold hearings (individuals, interest groups, Congressional members speak for/against  inform, public support)
After hearings and mark-up sessions, the committee reports a bill out to the House or Senate
Bill must be placed on a calendar to come for a vote before either House
House Rules Committee sets the rules for consideration (open vs. closed debate, time limits set in House)

2. How a Bill becomes a law (Contd)
Senate has unlimited debate
filibuster – unlimited debate, used to eliminate a bill; more commonly used today due to double tracking – disputed bill is shelved and business continues
Filibuster may be ended by a cloture – vote to end debate, 60 senators needed (supermajority)
Longest filibusters: Strom Thurmond (24 hours continuously), team of senators- 57 days for Civil Rights Act of 1964
Bills are debated on the floor of the House or Senate
Quorum required – minimum number of members present in House to conduct business (100 members for the Committee of the Whole which is led by a comm. Chairmen and is debated by members and amended; 218 for House to vote)
Open v. closed in House
Amendments must be germane (relevant) to bill in House
Riders – provisions attached to a bill that is not germane to the bill’s purpose in order to get a legislator’s “pet project” passed  many riders on a bill = “Christmas tree bill” – allowed in Senate

3. How a Bill becomes a law (Contd)
If there are major differences in the bill as passed by the House and Senate, a conference committee is appointed  compromise bill reworked and rewritten then a revote
Then bill goes to the president
The president may sign it, let it sit or veto it (president’s check)
Pocket veto – bill given to President 10 days before end of Congress session that he does not act on
If the president vetoes it, it returns to house of origin
Both houses must support the bill, with a two-thirds vote, in order to override the president’s veto
If a bill does not go through entire process within life of 2 year Congress, must be reintroduced completely next Congress

4. Founders made the process long, cautious, and deliberate so that many people could consider and approve of a change
-efficiency and haste is the hallmark to oppressive government

5. Methods of voting Voice vote standing (division ) vote Teller vote
Shout “yea” or “nay”
standing (division ) vote
Members stand to be counted
Teller vote
Members file past the clerk, first the “yeas” and then the “nays”
Roll-call vote
Call members names to vote, recorded
Electronic vote
Roll call vote that permits members to insert plastic card into slot (House), recorded
Vote appears on a “score board” marquee

6. Resolutions Congress also passes 3 types of resolutions:
Simple Resolution
Either House or Senate
Establishes rules, regulations or practices
Does not have force of law, not signed by president
Ex. Setting a rule, congratulating someone
Concurrent Resolution
Comes from both houses
Settles housekeeping and procedural matters affecting both Houses
Not signed by president, no force of law
Joint Resolution
Requires approval of both houses, signed by president
Force of law
Passed when Congress react to an important issue that needs immediate attention
Ex. After 9/11 attacks, joint resolution condemning attacks and allowing Bush to take preliminary military action

7. Criticisms of Congress
Pork barrel legislation and Earmarks
Bills that give benefits to constituents (local bridges and highways) in hope of gaining votes rather than welfare of entire nation
Federal money being wasted?
2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act – funded 11,000 projects (hall of fames, theme parks)
Logrolling
Members of Congress support another member’s pet projects in return for support of his or her own project, esp. pork barrel
“You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”
Non germane riders/amendments added to bills = Christmas Tree Bill
Abusing franking privilege
Special interest group influences
Inefficiency – Gridlock
Term limits needed?
Members become unresponsive to their constituents
but expertise needed?

8. Congressional Caucuses
Caucus: informal groupings of members of Congress sharing the same interests of point of view
created to advocate a political ideology or a regional or economic interest
Goal: to shape agenda of Congress by elevating their issue
Functions: press for committees to hold hearings and organize votes on bill in their favor
Intra-party caucuses: members share a similar ideology (Democratic study group)
Personal interest caucuses: members share a common interest in an issue (environment, arts)
Constituency caucuses: established to represent groups (race and gender), regions or both (Congressional Black Caucus, Vietnam Veterans, Congressional Women’s caucus)

9. Congressional Staff Growth of staff from 1930-2000
Constituency service is a major task of members’ staff, many control local offices
Legislative functions of professional staff include devising proposals, negotiating agreements, organizing hearings, and meeting with lobbyists and administrators, scheduling member’s time, dealing with media
Members’ staff consider themselves advocates of their employers
# of staffers have increased drastically over years (over 30,000 staffers; Senators average 30; House = 15)