1. AP US Government
Congress
Chapter 13

2. Presentation Outline Typical legislators (congressional demographics)
American bicameralism
Incumbency in Congress
Comparing the House and Senate
Congressional Leadership
Legislative Oversight
Congressional Committees
How a Bill Becomes a Law

3. Qualifications
HOUSE 25 years old; citizen for 7 years; live in the state you represent
SENATE 30 years old; citizen for 9 years; live in the state you represent

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

5. A Congressman’s Balancing Act
Delegate
Trustee
Floor vote on the Energy Bill!
How should I vote? My constituents first or my country???

6. 1) Who is the typical legislator? Historical & Recent Trends
Gender
Race
Incumbency
Party
Describe what the typical legislator would be like considering the characteristics above.

7. Who is the typical legislator? Historical & Recent Trends
Gender
Jeannette Rankin first woman in Congress (1916), prior to women gaining suffrage
Race
African-American
1st members of Congress in 1870
Hispanic-American
1st member of Congress in 1877

9. 2) American Bicameralism
The House
435 members, 2-year terms of office
Initiates all revenue bills, more influential on budget
House Rules Committee
Limited debates
The Senate
100 members, 6-year terms of office
Gives “advice & consent,” more influential on foreign affairs
Unlimited debates (filibuster)

10. Bicameral Legislature
Two house Congress
House of Reps. = 435 members
5 non-voting members = Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, Washington D.C., American Samoa
Senate = 100 members
Connecticut the Constitutional Convention

11. The Representatives and Senators
The Job
Salary of $168,500 with retirement benefits
Office space in D.C. and at home with staff
Travel allowances and franking privileges (free mailing at government’s expense)
Requires long hours, a lot of time away from family, and pressure from others to support their policies

12. 3) Incumbency in Congress
Individuals who already hold office usually win 90% of elections

14. Congressional Elections
The Advantages of Incumbents
Advertising:
The goal is to be visible to your constituents
Frequent trips home, use of newsletter, and technology
Credit Claiming:
Service to constituents through:
Casework: specifically helping constituents get what they think they have a right to
Pork Barrel: federal projects, grants, etc. made available in a congressional district or state

15. Congressional Elections
The Advantages of Incumbents
Position Taking:
Portray themselves as hard working, dedicated individuals
Occasionally take a partisan stand on an issue
Weak Opponents:
Inexperienced in politics, unorganized, and underfunded
Campaign Spending:
Challengers need to raise large sums to defeat an incumbent
PACs give most of their money to incumbents
Does PAC money “buy” votes in Congress?

16. Servicing the Constituency
Constituents: citizens that the Congressperson represents
Casework: helping constituency as individuals (cutting through red tape to give people what they think they have a right to get
Pork Barrel: List of federal projects, grants and contracts available to cities, businesses, colleges and institutions

17. Money in electing Congressmen
Most of the turnover in the membership in Congress results from vacated seats, particularly in the House
It costs a great deal more money to elect a congressperson than to elect a president
2000, all presidential candidates spent a total of $200 million
2000, general election Senate races alone cost $350 million

18. 4) Comparing the Senate and the House of Representatives

19. House of Representatives
More centralized, hierarchical, less anarchic
Party loyalty to leadership and party-line voting more prevalent
Leaders do more leading
Speaker appoints committee members
Five calendars based on kind of bill
House can impeach officials (16 so far)

20. House Rules Committee Most important committee in the House
Reviews most bills coming from a house committee before they go to the full House (traffic cop)
Gives each bill a “rule”, which schedules the bill on the calendar, allots time for debate, and can even specify what kind of amendments to bill can be offered
Initiates all revenue bills in House

21. Senate Less disciplined, less centralized Ratifies treaties
Confirms important presidential nominations
Tries impeached officials
Party leaders schedule bills
Pro Tempore seniority rule

22. 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

23. 5) Congressional Leadership

24. How Congress is Organized to Make Policy
Congressional Leadership
The House
Led by Speaker of the House—elected by House members
Presides over House
Major role in committee assignments and legislation
Assisted by majority leader and whips
The Senate
Formally lead by Vice President
Really lead by Majority Leader—chosen by party members
Assisted by whips
Must work with Minority leader

25. Speaker of the House Most important person in Congress
Presides over House
Makes committee assignments
Appoints party’s legislative leaders
Exercises substantial control over which bills get assigned to which committees

26. Other Congressional Leaders
Majority Leader in each house
Minority Leaders in each house
Whips: A member of a legislative body, charged by his or her party with enforcing party discipline and ensuring attendance
Daniel Inouye
(D)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D)
Minority Leader: Mitch McConnell (R)

27. Whips…in the Senate Richard Durbin (D) Majority whip
Jon Kyl (R) Minority whip

28. Whips...in the House Kevin McCarthy (R) majority whip
Steny Hoyer (D) minority whip

29. 6) Legislative Oversight
Congress’s monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy (hearings)

30. House Armed Services Committee grilling Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel

31. 7) Committees in Congress
Standing committees: Permanent committee in a legislative body to which bills in a specified subject matter area are referred
Joint committees: Legislative committee composed of members of both houses (usually permanent also)
Conference committees: Temporary joint committee created to reconcile any differences between the two houses’ versions of a bill
Select committees: Legislative committee created for a limited time and for some specific purpose; also known as a special committee

33. House STANDING Committees
There are 19 standing committees in the House of Representatives.
Representatives are normally assigned to one or two standing committees.
The most important committees in the House are: Rules, Ways and Means, Appropriations, Armed Services, Judiciary, International Relations, and Agriculture

34. Senate STANDING Committees
There are 17 standing committees in the Senate.
Senators are normally assigned to three or four committees.
The most important committees in the Senate are: Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Finance, Judiciary, Armed Services, and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.

35. Important Facts about Committees
Committees are where most bills receive thorough consideration.
The fate of most bills is decided in the various standing committees.
Most bills DIE in the committees (action) to which they are referred!!!

36. Congressional Caucus
Informal organization of Congresspersons who share some interest on characteristics
Promote the interests around which they are formed
Interest group within Congress

37. Congressional Black Caucus
Groups of Congress members seeking common legislative objectives
May include members of both House & Senate

38. 8) How a Bill Becomes a Law

39. Types of Bills
public bill – proposed legislative bill that deals with matters of general concern and application
private bill – a proposed legislative bill that deals with specific private, personal, or local matters rather than general affairs
appropriation bill – legislative motion authorizing the government to spend money

40. Congressional process

41. The Congressional Process