The United States Congress Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But...

The United States CongressSuppose you were an idiot. And

suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.

Mark Twain

More partisan and unifiedMore loyalty to partyMore structured and organizedMajority rules alwaysLimited debate and amendments

The House of Representatives

Senators more powerful individuallyLess party-oriented and party- dependentLooser rules of debate and amendmentsMinority can block the majority

(the “filibuster”)

The Senate

Special Rules of the Senate

Unlimited debate

Bills brought to floor by consent of party leaders

Filibusters (can be ended by a “cloture vote”,60 votes)

The “hold” put on bills“non-germane” amendments

Structure of the HouseChosen from the Majority Party

Speaker of the House:

John Boehner (R - OH)

Elected by House members

Only Congressional office mentioned by the Constitution

Duties: controls debate, approves committee assignments, designates which bills are considered by the House

Structure of the House

The Majority Leader

Eric Cantor (R – VA)

The Majority Whip

Kevin McCarthy (R- CA)

Structure of the House

The Minority Leader

Nancy Pelosi (D – CA)

The Minority Whip

Steny Hoyer (D- MD)

Structure of the Senate

President of the Senate:

Joseph Biden

Duties:

presides over the Senate

can not vote unless there is a tie

rarely present in the Senate

Structure of the Senate

The Majority Leader

Harry Reid (D – NV) The Majority Whip

Richard Durban ( D - IL)

Structure of the Senate

The Minority Leader

Mitch McConnell ( R - KY)

The Minority Whip

Jon Kyl (R – AZ)

The Committees

Four Types:

Standing (permanent)

Joint (for investigations)

Select (info gathering)

Conference (to reconcile

different bills from

House and Senate)

The Committees Most Important (House)

Sander Levin (D-MI)

Norm Dicks (D- WA)

Jerry Lewis (R – CA)Louise Slaughter

(D – NY)

David Dreier (R –

CA)

Ways and Means

David Camp (R – MI)

Rules

Appropriations

Energy and Commerce

Henry Waxman (D – CA)

Fred Upton (R – MI)

The Senate CommitteesAppropriations

Daniel Inouye (D

– HA)

Thad Cochran (R – MS)

Judiciary

Patrick Leahy (D

– VT)

Finance

Max Baucus (D

– MT)

Charles Grassley (R – IA)

Foreign RelationsJohn

Kerry (D –MA)

Richard Luger (R – IN) Budget

Jeff Sessions (R – AL)

Kent Conrad (D – ND)

(Orrin Hatch

R – UT)

The Committees

Chair Positions:

Based on seniority

Majority party holds chairs

Power to hold or move bills forward or “pigeonhole” them

Conducts hearings

The CommitteesStaff

Does research

Gathers information

Assigned to committees

or to Congress itselfRep. Sam Hall (R – TX)

Powers of CongressNon-legislative:

Investigative (i.e. Watergate)

Power to subpoena witnesses and gather information

Powers of Congress

Non-legislative:

Electoral – chooses president when no majority is achieved in Electoral College

Powers of CongressNon-legislative:

Executive – Senate Confirms appointments of the president

Also confirms

treaties

Powers of CongressNon-legislative:

Impeachment: House files charges,

Senate acts as jury, Chief Justice presides

Powers of CongressNon-legislative:

Amendment: two thirds of House and Senate needed to send amendments to States (3/4 needed for ratification)

Powers of CongressTypes

Expressed: Article I, Section VIII, clauses 1 - 17

Implied: “necessary and proper” (clause 18)

(the “Elastic Clause”)

“To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers…”

The Electoral ConnectionAdvantages of the

incumbent:

“franking” or unlimited mailings to home district

The Electoral ConnectionAdvantages of the incumbent:

Money and the ability to raise money

The Electoral Connection

Constituency service

Advantages of the incumbent:

Bill Flores – R – TX 17)

The Electoral Connection

Credit claiming

Name recognition

Position taking

Advantages of the incumbent:

The Electoral ConnectionAdvantages of the incumbent:Lack of quality opponents

Ignorant voters

The Electoral ConnectionReasons for defeat:

Scandal Re-districting

Re-alignment of electorate: 1932, 1994, 2006, 2010?

The Electoral ConnectionUsually nonfactors:

Foreign Policy Economy “coattails”

Can be factors occasionally (2006, 2008, 2010)

How a Bill Becomes A Law!

How a Bill Becomes A Law!

Bill is introduced by a member in House

YouTube - I'm Just a Bill

Hello, Bill!

How a Bill Becomes A Law!

Member of Congress submits bill, read by clerk, and then put in “the hopper”

Can be “killed” by Speaker or sent forward to Rules Committee

How a Bill Becomes A Law!Bill sent to the Rules Committee, to

determine which committee is to work on it (or it can be “pigeonholed”)

Bill dies

How a Bill Becomes A Law!

Sent to the Committee, assigned to a subcommittee

Subcommittee holds hearings, performs studies, and makes revisions (“mark-up”)

How a Bill Becomes A Law!

Subcommittee reports it back to full committee

Committee can either:

Approve it

“pigeonhole” it

Kill it!

How a Bill Becomes A Law!Back to the Rules

Committee

Sets guidelines on:

length of debate

amendments, yes/no

type of vote

put on the calendar

How a Bill Becomes A Law!Full House Debate

YES – on to the Senate

NO – bummer!

Bill is killed!

How A Bill Becomes a Law!Bill introduced to the Senate by a member

Assigned to appropriate committee by Senate leadership (no Rules Committee in the Senate)

McConnell Reid

How A Bill Becomes a Law!Subcommittee hearings, mark-ups, etc.

Report to the full committee

Committee can kill it or pass it

Sends it to the Senate leadership to be put on the calendar

How A Bill Becomes a Law!

How A Bill Becomes a Law!

Full Senate debate, filibusters, amendments, final vote

If yes: conference committee

If no: big bummer!

How A Bill Becomes a Law!Conference Committee

made up of both House and Senate members

works out differences in the two bills

Sent back to original

body for final vote

No debate or

amendments

Yes or No

How A Bill Becomes a Law!

Sent to President

If signed:

IT’S A LAW!

Veto: sent back to Congress for possible 2/3 override

Influences on LegislationThe President The Courts

Events

Interest Groups

The Media

Influences on Legislation

The Party

Constituent demands

Crazy , Right Wing, God-

fearin’ Conservatives

AP Government Classes